There's a great goalkeeper who has just put in a fantastic performance in the Champions League final. He's available as his club have financial issues. He is excellent with the ball at his feet. Erik ten Hag knows him personally after coaching him for years at Ajax. This is the bit where you fall out of your chair like Vince McMahon.
Reinforcements in attack and midfield were always planned to be Manchester United's biggest priorities in a summer where they must capitalise on the promising start made in Ten Hag's first campaign. While they remain crucial to the recruitment plan, the need for a new goalkeeper is increasing by the day.
David de Gea did have a largely good season and attempted to meet the requirements set for him by the new manager but his old frailties were never far away. Wayward distribution, a weak command of his box and a remarkable knack for letting comfortable shots squeeze past him for someone capable of stunning saves. Several high-profile and costly mistakes towards the end of the campaign, including in the Europa League defeat by Sevilla and the FA Cup final loss to Manchester City, have once again called his unchallenged spot in the side into question.
That's before his contract situation is even considered. The Spaniard's current deal is set to expire at the end of June and though United hold the option to trigger an extra year on the same terms, they are yet to do so. Instead, they are hoping to negotiate a contract extension which would see De Gea, one of the club's best-paid players, reduce his wages.
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Yet, an agreement has still not been reached, leading to growing speculation Ten Hag may seek to sign a goalkeeper who can truly challenge for the No.1 spot or even replace De Gea. Speaking earlier this month, Ten Hag refused to call De Gea his first choice for next season: “I will not say he'll always be my No.1 because in a club like Man United there must be competition in all positions. You can’t do it with 11 players. It is impossible. You need double positions."
Everton and England international Jordan Pickford, Porto stopper Diogo Costa and Bart Verbruggen of Anderlecht have all been linked so far but one name that has inspired excitement among fans is Andre Onana. The Inter goalkeeper has usurped Samir Handanovic at the San Siro and was crucial to his side's journey to the Champions League final.
The 27-year-old was particularly impressive in possession in Istanbul and his display has led to a dramatic increase in talk surrounding his future. Chelsea appear to be the front runners in a £50million move, with Inter desperate to raise funds, but United have also been touted.
Ten Hag's transfer directive for most of his first summer in charge at United was to sign players he had either previously coached or knew personally from his time in Dutch football. So in that regard, signing Onana, who played for him 145 times and who he once described as 'masterful', makes a whole lot of sense. The Cameroonian is exactly what United need between the sticks.
However, the way both men brought their time together at Ajax to an end in 2022 may impact any hope there is for a reunion. Onana returned from a nine-month doping ban in November 2021 but didn't begin playing regularly until well into 2022. Then it became clear he would not be extending his contract in Amsterdam and instead move to Inter on a free in the summer.
On April 9 Onana had been booed off the field by his own fans despite the team winning as he had conceded from a mistake, to which he said he "did not give a s***." But in the following game, Onana was dropped from the squad completely for the Dutch Cup final, which was lost to PSV Eindhoven.
Reports in the Dutch press at the time claimed Ten Hag had grown frustrated with Onana's lack of fitness and shaky displays and had told him he wouldn't be involved earlier in the week. The goalkeeper didn't play for Ajax again.
Ten Hag came in for criticism from some Dutch pundits. Rafael van der Vaart said: "The energy is no longer there at Ajax. It’s all a hassle; everyone is out of shape, that whole Onana thing and the unrest in the dressing room. The title is almost like a consolation prize.
“It will then be a less beautiful championship. As a player I have had that sometimes, that you thought: the others were worse, but we were not much better.”
When asked about the situation several times by an ESPN reporter, Ten Hag insisted that Onana was injured to the point of annoyance with the interviewer after having to reiterate that the player was injured three times.
Ten Hag and Onana are understood to still have a positive relationship, but United's manager might rather keep it that way on a personal level, rather than risk anything fractious developing in a professional setting.
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