New comments coming out from Inter CEO Beppe Marotta have officially confirmed Manchester United’s interest in Andre Onana.
It has been widely reported that United’s preferred option to replace out-of-contract David De Gea is Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana. These reports have been validated by the man in charge of Inter himself.
Marotta, speaking to Sky Italy on Friday, said: “Manchester United confirmed to us that they’re interested in Andre Onana. We are waiting for an official proposal in the next few days, then we will decide how to react right after.”
He also added: “Manchester United should submit an official bid for André Onana in some days.”
United’s interest in Onana comes after speculation over De Gea’s future as terms over a new contract have reportedly hit a dead-end. Some reports suggest that United offered De Gea a contract and then withdrew it while other reports suggest the club are asking the Spaniard to ‘hang around’ in case they are unable to sign a replacement.
The shuffle at the no.1 spot comes as a surprise as manager Erik Ten Hag confirmed at the end of the 2022/23 season that De Gea will sign the new contract but the club has now let his contract run down.
The names being rumoured as the Spaniard’s successor were Onana and Porto’s Diogo Costa and it looks like United have chosen to pursue the Cameroonian. They have not yet finalised a deal with either the club or the player but are in open negotiations with both.
Also Read: West Ham in talks to sign Harvey Barnes from Leicester
Inter’s CEO also told Sky Italy: “Our director Piero Ausilio is working on it (the deal) but there’s still no official bid from Man United, at this stage.”
The former Cameroon national player captured everyone’s attention during his side’s defeat to Manchester City in the Champions League final, where he had a stellar performance.
Onana likes to come out of his penalty box to aid the team’s build-up and is a sweeper. He also possesses strong distribution skills with a great passing range.
The shot stopper does have a controversial past though as he was banned for a year from competing in Europe by UEFA after a failed doping test. The ban was reduced to 9 months and Onana ended up leaving Ajax and went to Inter.
He was also sent back home from the 2022 FIFA World Cup by the Cameroon manager for disciplinary reasons and has since announced his retirement from international football.
He had previously played for Erik Ten Hag at Ajax where he became a prominent figure after joining from Barcelona’s youth academy back in 2015. He is well-appreciated by the Dutch manager and could prove to be pivotal in United’s rebuild.
