Roland Cutinho
Andre Onana kickstarts his Old Trafford career by joining his first full training session with United
Andre Onana’s first action seems to speak volumes about his quick start to life in Manchester United’s training sessions.
As revealed by the Manchester Evening News, the African honcho showed his dedication to his new club by participating in a full training session shortly after a tiring journey to join the squad in the US.
During the 2022-23 season, Onana displayed remarkable performances for Inter, recording 19 clean sheets in 41 appearances across all competitions.
Now, he has joined United and reunited with his former coach, Erik ten Hag, as they had previously worked together at Ajax.
Once both clubs reached an agreement on the transfer fee, the Cameroonian goalkeeper travelled to Turin to catch a flight to Birmingham.
From there, he drove to Manchester to undergo his medical examination. After a brief halt in Turin, he then flew directly to Manchester on Thursday morning to join the team for training.
Upon arriving at Man United’s Carrington training complex, Onana successfully completed his medical examination.
However, due to time constraints, he was unable to participate in the typical media activities that new signings usually undergo, such as photoshoots, interviews, videos, and other social media-related duties.
Ten Hag prioritised Onana’s quick integration into the squad. As a result, the shot-stopper was booked on an Aer Lingus flight from Manchester, accompanied by some United support staff. The flight arrived in New York on Thursday.
Despite facing a challenging journey to join United, the keeper didn’t waste any time and trained with the team the following morning at the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.
During the morning session, he was seen engaging in a conversation with his fellow teammate, Dean Henderson.
Fortunately, the Cameroonian goalkeeper’s signing was timely, allowing him to participate in the entire USA tour with the team. However, it remains to be seen if he will be ready to feature in the match against Arsenal on Saturday.
Fans are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to witness Onana’s on-ball skills. There is a strong likelihood that he might make an appearance in some capacity during the match against Arsenal, as Ten Hag seems keen to involve him as quickly as possible.
Onana could be given an immediate opportunity to play, especially with Tom Heaton and Henderson also available in the squad. If the Cameroonian goalkeeper is not considered fully prepared, one of the other options may be chosen to start the game instead.
Man United have participated in two friendly matches this summer, securing a 2-0 win against Leeds United in Oslo and a 1-0 victory over Lyon in Edinburgh.
The club’s academy team is scheduled to play against Wrexham on July 25, while the first team will face matches against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund after the game against Arsenal.
The importance of a strong preseason cannot be underestimated, especially for Onana. He now has the opportunity to play several matches and get acquainted with his new teammates.
This will allow them to understand each other’s style of play and build a strong bond on the field. Due to this, they won’t have to work on their connection during the intense battles of the Premier League.
The signing of Onana is highly significant and will have a transformative impact on the team’s style of play. His addition is expected to result in more possession and, consequently, more chances being created for Ten Hag’s side.
More Manchester United News
- Fiorentina set transfer deadline for Manchester United target Sofyan Amrabat
- PSG set to enter talks for Manchester United target Rasmus Hojlund
- Nottingham Forest close to agreeing a deal for Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga
While David De Gea’s shot-stopping skills will be missed, the team hopes to compensate for them by scoring more goals at the other end of the pitch.
