Manchester United ended up spending staggering fee to keep Andre Onana at Old Trafford for slightly longer before AFCON duties with Cameroon: Reports
A report from The Athletic has revealed the amount spent by Manchester United to keep goalkeeper Andre Onana for longer at the club before leaving for the AFCON. The outlet claimed that the Red Devils covered the costs of the flight, which ended up costing them £79,000.
While other Premier League clubs saw their African stars leave for the tournament much earlier, the Cameroon goalkeeper remained in England for an extended period. For comparison, Egypt superstar Mohamed Salah left shortly after Liverpool's 4-2 win over Newcastle United on New Year's Day.
Onana, in comparison, was in the lineup for Manchester United's clash against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 January, with Cameroon's campaign kicking off on 15 January. He missed their 1-1 draw against Guinea and featured in the 3-1 loss to Senegal, not impressing many with his performance against the defending champions.
Cameroon manager Rigobert Song said in the press conference after the loss:
“I'm not going to blame anyone, I'm going to take responsibility. My players fought. We must recognise that Senegal were better than us. The next match we will win and qualify for the next round."
Cameroon currently find themselves third in Group C. One point from two games puts the side in a critical position ahead of their third group-stage fixture against Gambia on January 23.
Cristiano Ronaldo asks Al-Nassr to sign Manchester United star: Reports
Manchester United star Casemiro could be on the move to the Saudi Pro League. According to Foot Mercato, Cristiano Ronaldo has advised Al-Nassr to try and sign the Brazilian defensive midfielder.
The Red Devils signed Casemiro from Real Madrid in the summer of 2022 for £70 million. He enjoyed a strong first season but has failed to impress in his second campaign. He has also missed an extended amount of time and has yet to make an appearance in the Premier League since October. In all, he has played 12 games, scoring four goals this season.
Manchester United are not short of midfield options in the Brazilian's absence. Summer signing Mason Mount could return soon from injury, while academy prospect Kobbie Mainoo and Scott McTominay have filled in.
Should Al-Nassr pursue Casemiro, they must decide on offloading one of their foreign stars as they already are at the limit allowed by the Saudi Pro League. The report claims that the candidate most likely to leave is midfielder Seko Fofana, who joined from French side RC Lens this season.