Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana proved once and for all the he is not just a bargain bin option despite the fact that he arrived at the Nerazzurri on a free transfer, but a full-fledged top European keeper.
This is the view in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews, who declare that “Inter fished out a real gem” after the Cameroonian’s heroics played a key role in preserving a vital clean sheet for his team on the biggest stage.
When Onana arrived at Inter from Ajax last summer, there had been a sense that the fact that the 26-year-old’s contract with the Dutch giants was expiring was the main reason that the Nerazzurri had moved for him.
There is little doubt, indeed, that Inter had sensed the opportunity to bring in a long-term successor to Samir Handanovic that would not require them to spend on a transfer fee given their well-known financial issues.
However, the Nerazzurri have not had to settle for a subpar keeper due to this financial motivation.
Rather, the club have gotten a player who’s shown himself to be comfortable in the starting eleven as soon as he was transitioned into the lineup.
Two of the Cameroonian’s very best performances came in both legs of the Champions League round of sixteen tie against Porto.
As the Gazzetta highlight, it is no exaggeration to say that Onana’s efforts were vital and necessary to Inter reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
In this way, the 26-year-old has certainly proven that he belongs at the highest level in Europe, and in the next round he will have the opportunity to do so further.
All this, the Gazzetta notes, for a player who arrived as a “free transfer opportunity.”
