Manchester United audition ruined for potential £33m Casemiro replacement

Amadou Onana is likely to miss the chance to impress against Manchester United with the Everton midfielder injured ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash.

Regardless of whether or not Casemiro joins the ever-growing collection of fading superstars in Saudi Arabia, the need for a long-term replacement has been quite brutally exposed in recent weeks.

Amadou Onana is likely to miss the chance to impress against Manchester United with the Everton midfielder injured ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash.

Regardless of whether or not Casemiro joins the ever-growing collection of fading superstars in Saudi Arabia, the need for a long-term replacement has been quite brutally exposed in recent weeks.

With United travelling to the growling bear pit that is Goodison Park on Sunday, Amadou Onana had the ideal chance to show the Red Devils why he should be their top choice to take over from Casemiro in the centre of Erik ten Hag’s midfield.

Or, at least, he would have.

Barring a remarkable change of events, Onana will be missing for this weekend’s clash.

Sean Dyche confirms via the Liverpool Echo that the £33 million Belgium international is still suffering the after-effects of a calf strain, thus scuppering what may have been a United audition for one of Europe’s most exciting, most complete central midfield talents (Daily Mail).

“(Onana is) a unique profile,” former Everton and now Belgium boss Roberto Martinez told Het Laatste Niuews back in 2022, including the former Lille starlet in his squad for the Qatar World Cup.

“Someone with such physical presence and dynamism is needed, just think of (ex-Man United powerhouse Marouane) Fellaini in 2018. He is also a leader on the pitch who has made strides in his career.