Why André Onana will shine at United
The Inter goalkeeper recently switched the Milan blue with the Manchester red in a $56 million dollar deal. Here's why United fans should love this transfer.
Deolu Akingbade writes about every big transfer from July 2 onwards. His first subject is Cameroonian keeper André Onana, who is set to move to Manchester United for a hefty price.
The Facts
Andre Onana is a Cameroon goalkeeper currently contracted to Inter Milan. He was born in 1996 in a village named Nkol Ngok, just 35 miles outside the capital Yaounde. He joined the Barcelona youth academy through the Samuel Eto’o Academy in 2010 before moving to Ajax five years later.
Onana broke through to the first team with Jasper Cillessen’s transfer to Barcelona and quickly became a key part of the team. He starred in Ajax’s miracle run to the 2018-19 Champions League semifinals as the starting goalkeeper and attracted interest from Premier League teams. However, he tested positive for a banned substance, Furosemide, which eventually landed him a nine-month suspension from football.
Onana left Ajax for Inter in May 2022, capping a seven-year, 214-game journey with the Dutch side. Onana immediately replaced aging Slovenian stopper Samir Handanovic and helped the team immediately contend for titles. He was a key force in yet another drive to the latter stages of the Champions League, this time with an Inter side that ended up in the final.
Onana is Cameroon’s first-choice keeper and played one World Cup game with Cameroon in Qatar, but a fall-out with Rigobert Song concerning his tactics forced him to quit the team camp (and Qatar) early. He has not returned to Song or the Cameroonian national team since.
The Rumors
André Onana will reportedly leave Inter Milan this week for Manchester United in a $56 million deal. Onana will sign a new five-year contract that will pay him around $150,000 per week. The stopper has been linked with United since June, with negotiating recently reaching a breakthrough in both personal conditions and transfer terms.
Onana is a direct replacement for out-of-favor Spaniard David de Gea, whose contract ran out on July 1st. Neither Martin Dúbravka (Newcastle) nor Jack Butland (Rangers), the two backup keepers during the 22/23 season, was an option to replace de Gea. Dean Henderson, whose transfer to Nottingham Forest is on the edges of completion, will likely not be able to replace De Gea, so United will need an understudy for Onana.
To replace Onana, Inter Milan will try to go after both Bayern keeper Yann Sommer and Shaktar keeper Anatoly Trubin. Inter will activate Sommer’s release clause of 9 million dollars today. Inter must fight off interest from Saudi clubs, while also attempting to lower Shaktar’s $22 million asking price.
The Transfer Tree
The Transfer Tree traces the biggest transfers down to the lowest levels by looking at why a team makes a move and how the selling club replaces their player. It repeats until either the team becomes too unknown for any information to come through or the team doesn’t buy a player to replace their departure.
David de Gea leaves United as his contract expires. Although de Gea has been linked with a return to Old Trafford, he’s more likely to move to a Saudi club or Sevilla in Spain.
As a replacement for de Gea, United buy Onana for $56 million.
As a replacement for Onana (and long-time keeper Samir Handanovic, who left for free), Inter immediately turn towards both Sommer and Trubin. Sommer seems like the most likely short-term option and Trubin is the long-term option. Shakhtar has not lined up a replacement for Trubin despite his availability. It seems backup keeper Dmytro Riznyk will replace Trubin between the sticks.
As a replacement for Sommer, Bayern turns towards Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Manuel Neuer, who missed most of the second half of the Bundesliga after breaking his leg in a ski accident, will likely be Bayern’s number-one keeper. But, with Sommer and Alexander Nubel, both set to leave Bavaria, Bayern wants a young keeper to provide depth.
The transfer tree gets sketchier and vaguer as we dip below the Champions League and into the lower ends of LaLiga. Valencia has been linked to several keepers, like former Barca academy keeper Arnau Tenas and Levante keeper Dani Cárdenas. But, Levante wants to replace Mamardashvili with Crystal Palace’s Vicente Guaita.
If Guaita ends up going to Valencia, then Crystal Palace keeper Sam Johnstone will step in as a starter in his place. Remi Matthews is expected to stay as a backup, while several teams are fighting to sign Joe Whitworth on loan. Arnau Tenas is a free agent, and Cárdenas will likely be succeeded by Joan Femenias.
The Spin
André Onana is an incredible pick-up for Manchester United, one that has been years in the making. The Cameroonian stopper is David de Gea’s successor. De Gea has played with Old Trafford since the 2011/12 season and was a key proponent of the role of the sweeper keeper. He frequently rushes off his line to make saves, he often rushes off his line, and his speed makes him very valuable on defense, but as he aged, he became a liability. His weakness in passing under pressure, a lack of confidence, and his tendency to mess up his positioning have attracted criticism from fans and pundits, especially under recent managers like Ole Gunnar Solksjær and Erik ten Hag.
It seemed like de Gea’s time at United was ticking, especially with the evolution of keepers at the pro level, but also due to his inconsistent performances. It all came to a head when Liverpool demolished Manchester United 7-0. Although none of the goals were his fault, the fanbase began to turn on him and resent him. His exit isn’t a surprise.
Onana is the perfect replacement for him. He was always United’s number one choice. Although de Gea was the early version of a sweeper keeper; someone who gets off his line every so often and can be called an extra defender in possession; Onana is on a different level. He has more flair and is more technically skilled than many outfield players; he’s not just a keeper who can pass.
Sometimes he’ll drift out between Inter’s center-back pair, and play normally from there, giving the space to carry the ball forwards. Other times, he’ll play very directly into Edin Dzeko or Lautaro Martinez. He’s a laser; his pinpoint accuracy and vision are a much-needed upgrade in the age of the hyper-aggressive goalkeeper.
Onana also knows what to do under United manager Ten Hag. He played under the Dutchman with Ajax from 2017 to 2022, playing up in a very advanced position and distributing the ball with almost full creative control over who he wants to pass to. He’ll fit right at home under Ten Hag’s current tactical system.
On defense, Onana is a decent stopper. He stands at 6’3, around the average height for a Premier League keeper. But, Onana is very athletic and adventurous; he’s world-class when it comes to claiming crosses and corners. He comes off his line a lot to clear away passes, but he’s also a great shot-stopper. He uses his big wingspan to make some very incredible saves, and he uses his frame very well
Of course, Onana enters Old Trafford with some negative sides to his game. He makes some rare mistakes with his distribution and is pretty eccentric when it comes to his playstyle, but his biggest weakness is his shot-stopping. He doesn’t have the same reach as De Gea, and he's not as comfortable diving or holding onto firm shots as the Spaniard is.
There are also big question marks surrounding Onana’s personality off the field. The Cameroon federation suspended Onana due to disciplinary reasons during the World Cup; he refused to stop playing as a sweeper keeper under legendary defender and Cameroon manager Rigobert Song.
He also tested positive for a banned doping substance, as he mistakenly took his wife’s birth pills instead of a Litacold tablet. Despite UEFA and the Court of Arbitration of Sport accepting the story, they still banned him for nine months. He and a Cameroonian passenger suffered a head-on collision as Onana drove to a team camp preparing for a vital World Cup qualifying fixture against Algeria, with Onana’s Range Rover’s front destroyed. He’s been in the limelight for his arguments with his teammates as well. United will greatly benefit from having Onana between the sticks, but he will likely have some lows to go with his highs.
Inter will have to rely on 34-year-old Yann Sommer as a replacement. Sommer’s been compared to Manuel Neuer thanks to his excellent shot-stopping and tendency to carry and pass the ball a lot. He recently made a move to Bayern due to Neuer’s unforeseen skiing injury, and he fits Onana’s tactical profile well. However, Sommer goes for crosses less than Onana, and steps further and more often off his line. Inter manager Simone Inzaghi will have another eccentric keeper to use in his plans.