Manchester United still haven’t officially announced the arrival of new goalkeeper Andre Onana, but it turns out, we don’t need confirmation from the club.
That’s because the the Cameroonian has announced himself, via an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, his way out of Inter Milan.
Andre Onana is currently undergoing his Manchester United medical ahead of joining the squad’s pre-season tour in the US ??pic.twitter.com/JrI7fKuaVF
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 19, 2023
Onana underwent his United medical a couple hours ago, and following completion of that process he’ll sign his new contract. He moves over from Milan for a transfer fee that is worth up to 47 million GBP, or 55m Euro.
Then we’ll see the official public unveiling by the club. It could come later today, or maybe tomorrow instead.
Obviously, the club will wait until after the conclusion of their friendly vs Lyon in Edinburgh. (They’re currently up 1-0 in the second half, as of this writing).
?? André Onana: “I am a person who always wants new challenges. Playing in the Premier League and for a club like Manchester United is irresistible. I want and I hope to win the Champions League at United.
His [Samir Handanovic] advice and teachings have made me better and I… pic.twitter.com/PFV3DxMdeb
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) July 19, 2023
Getting to that Gazzetta interview, Onana had a whole lot to say, and it is all very news worthy. Irresistible” is how he described the opportunity to join United.
“The important thing is to be honest and always tell people the truth. I am a person who always wants new challenges,” Onana said to the Italian media outlet.
Playing in the Premier League and for a club like United is irresistible. All parties wanted this to happen. But what matters is that if I had stayed, I would have been happy because I never had any problems at Inter.”
The overall leader in clean sheets this past UEFA Champions League tournament, Onana, 27, hopes to win it at United.
He helped to lead Inter all the way to the UCL Final this past season, where his side lost narrowly to Manchester City.
“Pride and sadness,” he said of last year’s European run.
“You don’t know how much I would have loved to bring the trophy to Milan, celebrate it with our people.
“We were close to touching it, we deserved it: we played against City head-on, only details were missing, but this is football… Personally, I hope to win the Champions League with United, but I also hope that Inter replay a final and win it.”
Onana said he’s also excited to be reunited with manager Erik ten Hag, who was his boss at Ajax. The “master” is how Onana refers to the Dutch gaffer and tactician.
“Now I really want to start this new experience, exciting and with a coach who for me is a master,” he continued.
“I will go to a great league and a great club, which has a huge history just like that of Inter: I will start from scratch and give everything every day to show the new fans who I am.”
Andre Onana should be ready to go to join the rest of United on their preseason tour of the United States. He may not feature in the first friendly, versus Arsenal in the New York metropolitan area on Saturday, but he will be a part of most of the tour.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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