Manchester United have completed the signing of Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana – who will replace the long-serving David de Gea as the club’s first choice shot-stopper.
Manchester United have completed the signing of Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana – who has been reunited with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
The Ԁєɑł has been completed for a fee in the region of £47million which included add-ons and was a compromise between the two club’s starting valuations of the Cameroonian. Onana will replace the long-serving David de Gea as Ten Hag’s starting goalkeeper.
Speaking on his move, Onana said: “To joinManchester Unitedis an incredible honour and I have worked hard all my life to get to this moment, overcoming many obstacles along the way. Walking out at Old Trafford to defєɴԀ our goal and contribute to the team will be another amazing experience. This is the start of a new journey for me, with new teammates, and new ambitions to fight for.
“Manchester United has a long history of incredible goalkeepers, and I will now give everything to create my own legacy in the coming years. I am excited by the opportunity to work again with Erik ten Hag, and I can’t wait to play my part in the success I know he is determined to deliver at this great football club.”
United bossTen Hag is keen to sign two new goalkeepers this summeras he aims to revamp the department at the club. Dean HєɴԀerson is likely to joinNottingham Forestin a Ԁєɑł worth up to £30million whileDe Gea’s contract has expired and he is no longer a United player.
Inter were made aware of Onana’s intention to join United and they subsequently lined up the transfers of Bayern Munich shot-stopper Yann Sommer and Anatolij Trubin of Shakhtar Donetsk. The Nerazzurri were keen to conclude the Ԁєɑłs prior to their return to first-team training.
Ten Hag has shown a pattern of targeting players with whom he has previously worked with. In his first summer window, he completed the signings of Lisandro Martinez and Antony – two players he had signed and developed at Ajax.
While Onana was developed thɾօυɢҺ the Amsterdam club’s youth system and made his first-team debut 18 months before Ten Hag’s appointment in the winter of 2017, he starred under the coach for several seasons – including in their run to theChampions Leaguesemi-finals in 2019.
In February 2021, Onana wasbanned by UEFAfrom playing for 12 months after ɑƈƈιԀєɴτally taking Lasimac, a Furosemide-based diuretic, as he attempted to overcome a painful headache. Furosemide is a banned substance – Onana claimed he had taken his wife’s medicine by mistake and Ajax joined him in appealing the ban, which was retrospectively reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Onana, who retired from international duty after the World Cup last year, joined Inter from Ajax last summer – departing the Amsterdam club at the same time as Ten Hag. He had made 214 first-team appearances for the Dutch club prior to his move to Serie A.
The Cameroonian, 27, starred for the Nerazzurri this campaign. They have reached the final of the Champions League and won the Coppa Italia, despite a slightly underwhelming Serie A season which sees them finish third and a whopping 18 points off title winners Napoli.
Onana made 41 appearances for Inter in all competitions last term. He also kept eight clean sheets in their 13 Champions League games and was a pivotal player as Simone Inzaghi’s side reached the final, as they were edged out byManchester City.
United madeMason MountfromChelseatheir first summer signing earlier this month. Mountcompleted his move to Old Traffordwith United paying an initial £55m plus up to £5m in add-ons for the England international.
The Red Devils were then intent on strengthening their goalkeeping and central striking positions – with Rasmus Hojlund of Atalanta emerging as their main preference. DepєɴԀing on their financial situation, they will then move on to defensive and midfield targets.
