Manchester United and Inter Milan agree deal worth up to £47.2m for goalkeeper Andre Onana; player is keen on the move and personal terms are not expected to be an issue; Man Utd want Onana for at least some of their US tour, which ends on July 31
Wednesday 19 July 2023 21:23, UK
Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is undergoing a medical with Man Utd ahead of completing a £47.2m move to Old Trafford.
Once completed and contracts are formally signed, he will join up with the rest of the squad in the US for United's pre-season tour.
The squad fly out later on Wednesday, after their pre-season game against Lyon at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, and it is likely Onana will travel later this week.
A breakthrough on discussions between United and Inter came on Tuesday following days of talks between the clubs, with the deal including an initial fee of €51m (£43.8m), plus €4m (£3.4m) in potential add-ons, depending on individual and club performance.
Onana has made clear his intention to move to Old Trafford and reunite with his former Ajax manager, Erik ten Hag, who is driving the move for the 27-year-old.
United are also exploring the signing of Japan 'keeper Zion Suzuki from Urawa Red Diamonds after David De Gea failed to agree terms on a new contract and announced his exit on a free transfer earlier this month.
Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
"Erik ten Hag has got the goalkeeper he wants for next season. You have to say it's an incredible deal for Inter Milan, because they signed Onana last summer on a free transfer and are now selling him for up to almost £48m.
"Ten Hag knows him well because he worked with him at Ajax.
"He's a modern goalkeeper. He can play out from the back, is very comfortable on the ball and likes to take risks - so many, in fact, he was sent home from the World Cup by the manager of Cameroon because he was unhappy with how much he was playing out.
"He's a bit of a contrast from David De Gea. Everyone talks about how you need a goalkeeper who's comfortable on the ball and can play out from the back in modern football, and Onana can certainly do that - he was exceptional for Inter, helping them get to the Champions League final.
"He has had a bit of history with Ten Hag before, they fell out a couple of times at Ajax and he was dropped, and he also served a nine-month ban for a doping violation, but Ten Hag wanted a new goalkeeper and he's got his man."
Sky Sports digital football journalist Zinny Boswell:
"Andre Onana represents the modern goalkeeper. He can play with his feet, he's mobile which allows him to play as a sweeper 'keeper. But most importantly, he's confident. That's going to be the key for him at Man Utd. They'll hope he will be able to deal with what Gary Neville describes as the most pressurised role in English football.
"The key thing behind Onana's arrival will be that he unlocks Man Utd's build-up play. We saw Lisandro Martinez arrive last season from Ajax and it just had such a big impact on the confidence of the team when playing out from the back. We've also seen David De Gea's shortcomings in that area hold the team back.
"Looking at the stats, Onana outperforms De Gea across passing frequency, passing accuracy, long passes and long passing accuracy. But we can also see that Onana tends to go short more often. In terms of the way Ten Hag is trying to play, with the aim of controlling games, Onana will be the perfect goalkeeper for the Dutchman.
"If the goalkeeper is stuttering over his passes that spreads throughout the team. As we've seen with Man Utd over the last season they've been pretty fragile at times. They could do with a bit of confidence at the back."
West Ham are interested in midfielder Scott McTominay, though United have yet to receive any official bids.
The Scotland international has two years left on his contract, with the option of a further 12 months.
Elsewhere, dialogue remains open with Galatasaray over the signing of midfielder Fred, with early suggestions indicating a gap in valuation.
Fulham enquired earlier in the window and remain interested - but not at the current asking price - while clubs from Saudi Arabia are also thought to be keen.
Fred has entered the final year of his contract at Old Trafford.
United will sanction the re-opening of talks with Nottingham Forest over Dean Henderson, but only if they can complete a deal for Onana.
Everton also remain in talks with United over the signing of Anthony Elanga.
Man Utd's focus is on Onana for now but they still hope to get a deal done for Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund.
There is a willingness from all parties to get a deal done, with Hojlund keen on the move.
If there are departures in defence and midfield, United will look at their options.
They remain interested in Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat. The Morocco international played under Ten Hag at Utrecht.
Manchester United target Rasmus Hojlund has been compared to Erling Haaland.
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Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
