Aheed Abrar
Erik ten Hag was “key” in Manchester United Andre Onana transfer
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was “key” in convincing Andre Onana to snub interest from elsewhere and seal a move from Inter Milan this summer.
The Red Devils have officially signed the Cameroonian from the Nerazzurri for an initial fee of £43.8 million in the ongoing transfer window. However, apart from the Old Trafford side, Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea also had him on their radar.
Speaking to CalcioMercato.it (h/t Manchester Evening News), Albert Botines, the shot-stopper’s agent, revealed that the presence of the Dutch manager at United played a pivotal role in making up the 27-year-old’s mind.
“It all started a few months ago. Around April many people inquired about the player. Tottenham asked for information, Chelsea had a very strong interest. There were meetings in London and Chelsea had also met with Inter, but the figure of Ten Hag was key.”
Onana played his first minutes for the Red Devils against Real Madrid on 27 July in the pre-season friendly at the NRG Stadium in Texas. Unfortunately, while the goalkeeper looked composed, we ended up losing 2-0.
The Cameroonian was beaten in the opening minutes of the match by Jude Bellingham. Subsequently, towards the end of the match, Joselu scored a brilliant overhead kick as the game ended in a 2-0 loss for us.
However, it is early days for the shot-stopper at the Old Trafford side. Over the years, the 27-year-old has proven his qualities at Ajax Amsterdam and Inter Milan.
At the Eredivisie outfit, Onana developed and grew under Ten Hag. The goalkeeper enjoyed several fruitful years in the Netherlands with the Dutch manager before making his way to the Nerazzurri last summer.
In the previous campaign, the Cameroonian was an influential member of the Serie A giants’ team. Simone Inzaghi’s team made it to the finals of the Champions League. Despite being defeated by Manchester City, the 27-year-old shot-stopper caught a lot of people’s attention.
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Onana is arguably well-versed with Ten Hag’s idea and style of play. Hopefully, the two will enjoy great success at the Theatre of Dreams in the coming years.
