Aheed Abrar
Inter Milan shot-stopper Andre Onana expected to make “mistakes” at Manchester United
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand expected Andre Onana to make mistakes at the Old Trafford side if he completes his potential move from Inter Milan.
The Red Devils have the Cameroonian at the top of their list to succeed David de Gea. The Spaniard’s contract with the club expired last month and he has announced his departure.
To that end, United have already made a few bids to sign the 27-year-old from the Nerazzurri in the ongoing transfer window. The two parties are expected to come to a compromise to make the goalkeeper’s switch to the Old Trafford side a reality.
Speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel (h/t Manchester Evening News), Ferdinand is excited about the prospect of having Onana at the Red Devils. However, the ex-defender acknowledges the fact that the shot-stopper’s style of play attracts danger from the opposition.
“If Onana is coming in, I think he’s a fantastic signing. A huge talent and a real modern-day goalkeeper. You see teams pressing him and he does not even panic.
“He gets the ball into him, brings on the press, says ‘come on, come to me’, and then when that player comes to him he knows there’s a player free somewhere else and he normally finds them. I think there will be mistakes and playing that risky way, you do have mistakes and that happens.”
The Cameroonian has built a pedigree of being good with the ball at his feet. Erik ten Hag was the one under whom the 27-year-old developed and built a reputation.
At Ajax Amsterdam, the Dutch manager and Onana enjoyed some fruitful years together. However, the gaffer made his way to Manchester last summer, while the shot-stopper signed for Inter as a free agent.
In the 2022/23 term, the Cameroonian became a key player for Simone Inzaghi’s team and established himself as the number one. The 27-year-old caught a lot of people’s attention with his display against Manchester City in the Champions League final despite the Serie A giants’ 1-0 loss.
Last season, Ten Hag counted on De Gea as the first choice in between the sticks. Although the 32-year-old made some impressive saves throughout the previous campaign, the Spaniard looked uncomfortable playing under the Dutch manager.
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Therefore, Onana is arguably an upgrade over the former Atletico Madrid star when it comes to his distribution. However, it remains to be seen whether the Cameroonian will be able to live up to the expectations at Old Trafford side.
