Man Utd closing in on Andre Onana transfer swoop… as reason why he’s replacing David de Gea revealed
MANCHESTER UNITED will make a major push to land Andre Onana as their new keeper this week.
The departure of David de Gea was confirmed on Saturday — and that will surely have focused minds at Old Trafford.
United’s first pre-season match takes place on Wednesday against Leeds in Oslo and boss Erik ten Hag does not have an elite No 1.
His interest in Inter’s ball-playing Cameroonian Onana, 27, has been clear for weeks.
United say while initial discussions have been positive, the Italian giants will have to drop their £43million asking price.
Yet Inter are on the lookout for a new keeper, with Anatoliy Trubin of Shakhtar Donetsk and Bayern Munich’s Yann Sommer both in the frame.
Dutchman Ten Hag has once again demonstrated his ruthless edge. In late November he showed the door to one legend in Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now he has done it again, binning De Gea to close the chapter on the Spaniard’s 12-year stay at Old Trafford.
De Gea made some key errors this season including two howlers — highlighting the weakness with his feet — against Sevilla as United exited the Europa League.
His huge £375,000-a-week wages were also a problem.
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But Ten Hag pulled the plug on any new deal because he clearly wants a keeper who can play out from the back.
And once again he has turned to a player he knows from Holland. The duo spent five years together in Amsterdam and it was no surprise that when Ten Hag left, Onana was not far behind.
Yet he has other admirers and would arrive in Manchester with a glowing endorsement from across town, because City boss Pep Guardiola is a fan.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand revealed on his YouTube podcast Five: “I remember that I spoke to Pep before the Champions League final.
“He highlighted Onana as somebody that they’re going to have to prepare for.
“How many keepers do you normally have to prepare for in terms of building up and building out from the back?
“There isn’t many in world football. Onana is one of them, so he’ll definitely give Manchester United a presence.”
Ferdinand reckons Onana will be an ideal fit for the way Ten Hag wants United to play.
He added: “I think ideally he will want to be a team that play out from the back immediately and control possession.
“To do that you need a goalkeeper who is completely competent, really good, calm and authoritative and confident.
“Onana absolutely fits the bill. A huge talent.”
United insist Dean Henderson — who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest — is still in the frame to be No 1.
However, the England man is not expecting to get the nod and would like his future resolved before the club embark on their tour of the USA late next week.
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