In the ever evolving world of football, the so called modern day goalkeeper has become a highly sought after commodity. In a significant coup,Manchester Unitedmanager Erik ten Hag finally has his replacement for David de Gea in Andre Onana.
The goalkeeper hailing from Cameroon has generated a wave of excitement among a fanbase recognising that it was time for a change in between the sticks at Old Trafford. Erik ten Hag persisted with De Gea, however there were clear signs that for him to fully implement his philosophy, a new goalkeeper was necessary, opting for a player he once worked with at Ajax.
Signing for Ajax in 2016, Onana went onto achieve huge success during his time in Amsterdam with Ten Hag which helped him develop into one of the world’s top goalkeepers. Notably showcasing his talents during the famous 2018-19 campaign of the Champions League in which he helped Ajax to the semi-final beating giants Real Madrid and Juventus, only to miss out on the final via a last minute Lucas Moura goal.
Signing for Inter Milan for the 2022-23 season, he helped the club to their first Champions League final since 2010, continuing his fine form from Ajax. However, before his arrival to Italy, he was banned by UEFA for twelve months as he violated their anti-doping regulations. The football community rallied around him to offer support and encouragement and he returned to club football and continued to portray his talents as a world-class goalkeeper.
There has been no doubt that the goalkeeping department at United has been in transition. Although a legєɴԀ of the club, there were questions over the long-term future of De Gea and with the club wanting to implement the manager’s style of play, it was time for the club to move on and look to the future.
It was evident that a new goalkeeper was a high priority. Onana was identified and the club acted swiftly to ensure they landed their top target.
