Manchester United have made an opening offer worth up to €45million (£38.6million) for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana.
The Serie A club are looking at just under €60m but there is an expectation a compromise can be reached midway.
Personal terms are unlikely to be an issue as the player is believed to be open to the move and working again with Erik ten Hag like he did at Ajax.
United are keen to sign the 27-year-old as David de Gea’s future at Old Trafford is uncertain.
De Gea’s contract with United officially expired on June 30th. Last month The Athletic reported that the 32-year-old had signed a contract extension with United, but the club backed out of the agreed offer.
De Gea had agreed to a drastic cut in his current weekly wages of £375,000 but the club didn’t sign the deal.
United are therefore reviewing the goalkeeping market, with Onana emerging as the preferred option. Chelsea have also previously had an interest in the former Cameroonian international.
Should a deal go through, Nottingham Forest are likely to be given the green light to make an offer for Dean Henderson as uncertainty over United’s goalkeepers has so far halted progress on this transfer.
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Onana first caught the eye at Ajax for his exceptional passing range and confidence when he had the ball at his feet. Those skills were showcased during Inter’s run to the Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Manchester City.
Ten Hag would ideally want a goalkeeper who is naturally suited to play in defence, but United must also consider financial implications as the Old Trafford side are also looking to sign a new centre-forward.
Onana joined San Siro on a free transfer last year and has a contract until 2027.
Ten Hag has had a good relationship with Onana throughout their five years together at Ajax, calling him a “masterful goalkeeper” in April 2022 after returning from a nine-month ban for an accidental doping offence.
After joining Inter in 2022, Onana initially struggled to oust club captain Samir Handanovic from his top spot, but as of October he was Simone Inzaghi’s first choice, making 41 appearances in all competitions.
Onana also represented Cameroon at the 2022 World Cup, although after a disagreement with head coach Rigobert Song, partly over style of play, he was sent home from the tournament and retired from international duty in December.
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Onana is a player who knows Ten Hag well. He was a regular at Ajax under the Dutchman and is very familiar with the approach of the coach.
The Cameroonian international has exceptional passing distance, confidence with the ball at his feet, masters his penalty area and is also an excellent shot stopper.
Those skills were showcased in Inter’s run to the Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Manchester City. Even in the defeat, the 27-year-old proved his skills as a world-class goalkeeper.
While City were the side everyone expected to dominate in possession and best their opponents through their goalkeeper’s ability on the ball, it was actually Inter that caused the most problems, thanks largely to Onana’s bravery coming from behind developed out.
(Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)