Manchester United eyeing up shock swap deal involving Belgian star

Manchester United are considering an audacious swap deal that would see Harry Maguire join Everton in exchange for Belgian midfielder Amadou Onana ahead of the new season, it has been claimed.

It is widely reported that the Red Devils are on the hunt for midfield reinforcements, with Sofyan Amrabat thought to be high on Erik Ten Hag’s wishlist this summer, but sales need to be made first.

In that regard, United are struggling. Only Alex Telles and Anthony Elanga have left the club permanently this summer so far, and deals for the likes of Fred, Donny van De Beek and Dean Henderson have long been in the works but are yet to come to fruition.

Another issue is player valuation; Harry Maguire is thought to be valued by United close to £50m, but they have so far only received offers of around £30m from West Ham, from whom Ten Hag’s side have also rejected a £30m bid for Scott McTominay.

So, a swap deal could be the solution to getting them off the books.

As per the Mirror, that is exactly what they and Everton are exploring, with United ready to use Sean Dyche’s interest in Maguire to make a move for midfielder Amadou Onana.

The Belgian has impressed in his 12 months at Goodison Park, and was even linked with moves to Chelsea and Arsenal in the January transfer window, though the two clubs have seemingly since looked elsewhere.

Able to play as a deep midfielder or further forward to good effect, the 21-year-old could be a savvy piece of recruitment at Old Trafford.

Maguire, meanwhile, would be offered a chance to reunite with England teammate Jordan Pickford and play himself back into contention for Gareth Southgate’s EURO2024 squad.

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