Andre Onana: Manchester United seal £47.2m deal for Inter Milan goalkeeper | Football News
Manchester United have completed the £47.2 million signing of goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan.
Onana has signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford with the option of a further year as he replaces the departed David de Gea, who left the club after 12 years as the club’s first-choice stopper.
The transfer fee for the 27-year-old Cameroon international is an initial €51m (£43.8m), plus €4m (£3.4m) in potential add-ons depending on individual and club performances.
United boss Erik ten Haag worked with Onana at Ajax, where together they won three league titles and two KNVB Cups and reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
The goalkeeper, who has kept 104 clean sheets in 255 matches throughout his club career, joined Inter Milan in 2022 and won the Coppa Italia during his time at the San Siro.
Onana said, “It is an incredible honor to join Manchester United and I have worked hard my whole life to reach this moment, overcoming many obstacles along the way.”
“It will be another amazing experience to walk around Old Trafford to defend my goals and contribute for the team. It is the start of a new journey for me, with new teammates, and new ambitions to fight for.
“Manchester United have a long history of incredible goalkeepers, and now I will give everything to build on his legacy for years to come. I am excited by the opportunity to work with Erik ten Haag again, and I can’t wait to play my part in the success I know he is determined to deliver at this great football club.”
Crows: Ten Haag has the goalkeeper he wants
Andre Onana has been reunited with Ten Haag at Old Trafford
Sky Sports News Chief Correspondent Kaweh Solhekol:
“Erik ten Haag has found the goalkeeper he wants for next season. You have to say this is an incredible deal for Inter Milan, as they signed Onana on a free transfer last summer and are now selling him for around £48m.
“Ten Haag knows him well because he worked with him at Ajax.
“He’s a modern goalkeeper. He can play at the back, is very comfortable on the ball and likes to take risks – in fact, Cameroon’s manager sent him home from the World Cup because he was unhappy with how much he was playing out-of-favour.
“He’s a bit different to David de Gea. Everyone talks about how you need a goalkeeper who is comfortable on the ball and can play from the back in modern football, and Onana certainly can do that – he was exceptional for Inter, helping them reach the Champions League final.
“He’s had a bit of history with Ten Haag before, he’s been out and about a couple of times at Ajax, and he’s also served a nine-month ban for a doping offence, but Ten Haag wanted a new goalkeeper and they’ve got their man.”
Analysis: Why Onana could lift Man Utd
Sky Sports digital football journalist Zinni Boswell:
“Andre Onana represents the modern goalkeeper. He can play with his feet, he is mobile which allows him to play as a ‘sweeper’ keeper. But most importantly he is confident. This is going to be key for him at Man Utd. He hopes he will be able to cope with a role described by Gary Neville as the most pressured role in English football.
“The main thing behind Onana’s arrival will be the way he unlocks Man Utd’s build-up game. We saw Lisandro Martinez arrive from Ajax last season and he had such a huge impact on the team’s confidence when playing at the back. We’ve also seen David de Gea’s shortcomings in that area hold the team back.
“Looking at the statistics, Onana outperforms De Gea in passing frequency, passing accuracy, long passes and long passing accuracy. But we can also see that Onana makes short passes more often. In terms of the way Ten Haag is trying to play with the aim of controlling the game, Onana would be the right goalkeeper for the Dutchman.
“If the goalkeeper is fumbling on his passes that spreads to the whole team. As we’ve seen with Man Utd last season, they’ve been quite fragile at times. They can do that with a bit of confidence at the back.”
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