Transfer watch: Andre Onana

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Andre Onana’s first year in Italy has been a relative success with the Cameroonian helping Inter to their first UEFA Champions League final since Jose Mourinho a decade ago.

His performances in goal have both Manchester United and Chelsea interested in securing his future for a large fee just 12 months into his five year contract.

If you look at one of Manchester United’s biggest shortcomings last season, it was their inability to comfortably play the ball out from the keeper. David De Gea won the golden glove with the most clean sheets in the Premier League, and despite his horrendous errors on a few occasions, he is still a phenomenal shot-stopper. His ability with the ball, however, is nowhere near good enough for Erik Ten-Hag’s vision.

This is where Onana stands out. One would just need to rewatch the Champions League final to see the stark contrast between Onana’s confidence on the ball and De Gea’s clear limitations for United.

Throughout the season, Onana was a general, leading Inter from the back, becoming a crucial influence on their offensive play with composed short-passing into his defenders and midfield or with an accurate long-ball to Edin Dzeko, Romelu Lukaku or Lautaro Martinez.

Manchester United are waiting for a new contract negotiation with David De Gea to conclude before making any formal offers, but they have held meetings with Onana’s agent. Onana came to prominence under Erik Ten-Hag at Ajax and this relationship may be key in convincing Inter’s prized asset to make the move from Milan to Manchester.

Chelsea’s interest is more concrete than United’s, with the exit of Edouard Mendy forcing newly appointed manager Maurico Pochetino to enter the market for a replacement and bring in competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Kepa’s resurgence under Potter and Lampard was surprising considering Mendy’s contribution to their Champions League trophy, but his position is still under threat. The Spaniard isn’t terrible with the ball at his feet but would still come second to Onana if he was to arrive at Stamford Bridge.

Inter Milan are not interested in losing their star keeper after just one-year since his arrival, and it would require a huge fee to tempt negotiations around his exit. It is rumoured a minimum of 50-million Euros in addition to performance-based add-ons will be enough to negotiate.

In conclusion, Andre Onana has proven he is one of the most exciting goalkeepers currently playing in Europe. His talent in playing out from the back, his exceptional vision and pin-point accuracy would be an asset to most teams in the world, and especially to Manchester United and Chelsea who are in need of an upgrade between the sticks.

Photo: twitter @FabrizioRomano

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Dylan Johnson