Andre Onana: 10 things you probably didn’t know about the goalkeeper | OneFootball

Manchester United are edging closer to bringing in a successor for David de Gea, with Inter Milan's Andre Onana seemingly destined for Old Trafford.

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The shot-stopped has been a huge success in Italy, and the Red Devils have identified him as a long-term solution to their current goalkeeping issues.

Reports from the Daily Mail suggest the deal will be completed this week for a fee of around £43m plus add-ons, and he'll step into the hole that De Gea has left following his recent departure.

While he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world, there are many who won't be too familiar with Onana, so in preparation for his upcoming Premier League arrival, here are 10 things you probably didn't know about the 27-year-old.

10 Onana is elite with the ball at his feet

One of De Gea's biggest issues at United was his inability to play out from the back comfortably. Erik ten Hag likes his sides to build possession from the back, resulting in relying on his goalkeepers to be comfortable with the ball at their feet, but the Spaniard just didn't have what it takes to suit that style.

Onana, on the other hand, thrives with the ball at his feet and has regularly shown a calmness in possession, often dribbling and firing a range of passes with the majority coming off successfully.

In fact, after attempting over 1000 passes for Inter last season, the 27-year-old had a success rate of 81.3% which is impressive enough for a midfielder, never mind a keeper in between the sticks. He'll fit the way the Red Devils player perfectly and could help revolutionise the club as they return to the Champions League.

9 He quit the World Cup after being asked to focus on long-passes

Having thrived with the ball at his feet at club level, Onana was asked to focus on firing it long consistently for Cameroon during his appearances for the country, and he wasn't quite content with that.

The keeper's nature to take risks with the ball at his feet led to him clashing with the national team's manager, Rigobert Song, and he was subsequently sent home from the World Cup. He retired from international football shortly after and hasn't played for Cameroon since.

8 Onana has previously worked with Erik ten Hag

Following Ten Hag's arrival at United, he looked to a number of his former players when he began recruiting for the Red Devils. First, he brought in Lisandro Martinez, the centre-back he'd regularly deployed during his time at Ajax, before adding another man from the Eredivisie side, Antony, who he'd also previously managed.

Well, he's once again turned to a star he's already familiar with, as Onana also worked under the manager during his Ajax tenure. The pair spent several years together, with the keeper a first-team regular for the team through almost the entirety of Ten Hag's reign. That pre-existing relationship could help the 27-year-old settle much quicker at Old Trafford and hit the ground running in his Premier League career.

7 Onana's relationship with Ten Hag has been strained in the past

ARNHEM, NETHERLANDS - MAY 15: AFC Ajax Head Coach / Manager, Erik ten Hag gives his players instructions from the side lines during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Vitesse and Ajax Amsterdam held at Gelredome on May 15, 2022 in Arnhem, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

While the pair have a relationship already, it hasn't always been on the best of terms. After several successful years together, Onana's final seasons at Ajax were strained, and after he served a nine-month ban, he returned to the club and struggled to get back into Ten Hag's side.

Not only that, but the manager wasn't happy with the shape Onana was in, criticising him for it and things grew incredibly strained between the two of them. It wasn't long after that the keeper left the club and made the move to Inter, but Ten Hag clearly doesn't hold a grudge and is willing to once again work with him, this time in England, putting the past to bed.

6 Onana was once banned from football for nine months for doping

In what was seemingly the run of his career, Onana tested positive for a banned substance in February 2021 and was subsequently banned from football for a year. The suspension was later reduced to nine months and came at a time when the keeper was being targeted by a number of major names throughout Europe.

The incident apparently occurred when the 27-year-old was looking for aspirin and accidentally took his wife's medicine, Furosemide, a substance banned in the sport. The ban brought about the end of his time at Ajax, as he struggled to get into the side once he returned, and he left shortly after.

5 Onana likes to drive forward

A major attribute to the success of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in recent years, is their ability to avoid being pressed by having a keeper capable of carrying the ball forward.

That's something United have lacked, with De Gea regularly glued to his line, whereas Onana has been known to drive forward and likes to dart out of his goal fairly regularly, dribbling into midfield. It's something that helped Inter bypass presses and adding a keeper capable of playing that way will do wonders for Ten Hag's side next season.

4 Onana started his footballing career with the Samuel Eto'o Foundation

As a Cameroon native, it's fitting that Onana started his career in a programme created by the country's greatest-ever footballer, Samuel Eto'o.

The former Barcelona striker created the Samuel Eto'o Foundation in 2006 to give youngsters in Cameroon the right opportunities to break into the sport. Onana was one of those youngsters who benefited from the foundation, spending time there before he eventually earned a move to a prestigious European giant.

3 Onana came through the Barcelona academy

After spending time with the Samuel Eto'o Foundation, Onana earned a move to Barcelona in 2010 when he joined the La Liga giants' academy.

Some of the best players in the world came through that very academy, so it's clear to see that the goalkeeper benefited tremendously from his time there.

Learning from some of the best in the world, he spent five years within Barcelona's youth ranks, but opportunities at the time were scarce, so he eventually moved on in 2015 when he joined Ajax, a move that would change his career forever.

2 His cousin Fabrice Ondoa is also a professional goalkeeper

Onana isn't the only member of his family to make it as a professional footballer, with his cousin, Fabrice Ondoa also playing professionally. Not only that, but he's also a goalkeeper too.

Similarly to Onana, Ondoa spent time with the Samuel Eto'o Foundation and also earned a move to the Barcelona Academy. Like his cousin, though, he failed to make it into the La Liga champions' first team and eventually left in 2016 in search of first-team football.

His fortunes haven't been quite as bright as his cousin, though, and Ondoa has struggled to find regular action over the years. After bouncing between a number of different clubs, making just 38 appearances in six years, he signed for Latvian club Auda in 2022. He's since played 14 games for the club.

Despite his lack of regular first-team football at club level, Ondoa has featured 44 times for Cameroon since making his debut for his country in 2014.

1 Onana has picked up a handful of individual accolades

While his time at Ajax brought plenty of silverware for Onana, with three Eredivisie titles, in particular, standing out, the goalkeeper has also won numerous individual awards as well.

First, he was awarded the Best African Goalkeeper award in 2018, a huge honour for the then-22-year-old. He was also named the Cameroonian Footballer of the Year in the same year, a truly glorious 12 months for the Inter man.

His brightest season was undoubtedly the 2018-19 one, with Ajax shocking the world as they stormed to the Champions League semi-finals, and Onana was one of their brightest stars.

For his efforts that season, he was named in the Eredivisie Team of the Year, a fitting award as Ajax won the league title for the first time in five years. He was also nominated for the Best Goalkeeper Award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony that same year, losing out to Liverpool's Allison Becker.

Aside from his little spats in the past with ten Hag and Song, it's clear the positive influence Onana will have on United's success going forward once he is finally brought through the door.

His style of play perfectly suits the club, he'll provide a major upgrade on De Gea's glaring weaknesses and on his day, there aren't many shot-stoppers better than the Cameroon star.

With that fee of around £43m plus add-ons required to bring him to Old Trafford, it's fair to say that the deal could be regarded as an all-time bargain if he hits the ground running in Manchester as so many expect him to do.

The goalkeeper position was one of the biggest points of concern for Ten Hag heading into this summer, and it was clear they needed to upgrade in that role if they were to take that next step forward, and with Onana, it seems like they've found the man to help take them there.