"Will be very important for Manchester United" - Former Red Devil gives his take on club's pursuit of Andre Onana
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has backed Andre Onana to be a success at Old Trafford. He believes the Cameroonian star is a top goalkeeper and will help Erik ten Hag's system.
Manchester United are reportedly closing in on an agreement with Inter Milan to sign Onana this summer. They are looking to get a replacement for David de Gea, who recently announced his exit following the expiry of his contract.
Speaking to Betfred, Saha claimed that Onana has the characteristics Ten Hag demands from his keeper and believes his passing will help Manchester United score more goals. He said:
"I think so. He's a top goalkeeper that's eager to improve and he's 27 years old, so he's got plenty of experience but isn't old at all for a goalkeeper. The manager is looking to play out from the back and see how he can disrupt the opposition. I believe Onana will be very important for United."
Saha added:
"Of course, all goalkeepers make mistakes that lead to goals but in Andre's case, the team is going to score more goals because of him. It takes time for players to adjust to a new league, but I'm certain he's going to be a perfect fit as he was able to play in a very strictly structured Inter Milan team and was still able to revolutionise the squad with his forward-thinking, so I have no doubt that he's going to do the same at Manchester United."
Onana played under Ten Hag at Ajax before he moved to Inter Milan on a free transfer last summer. CalcioMercato claim the deal to bring the goalkeeper to Old Trafford could be worth €60 million.
Manchester United and David de Gea failed to agree a new contract
Manchester United and David de Gea had agreed a new deal earlier this year, as per a report in The Athletic. However, the Red Devils backed out as they wanted to reduce the Spaniard's wages further and then failed to agree on the new terms.
The report claims that the deal agreed earlier in the year would have seen De Gea's wages drastically reduced from £375,000 per week. Despite his agreement, the Old Trafford side decided to pull out and offered him a new contract with a further reduction in wages.
De Gea announced his decision to leave the Red Devils earlier this month – over a week after his contract expired. Since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011 under Sir Alex Ferguson, he made 545 appearances for United, the most by any goalkeeper.