Man United have been trying to sign Andre Onana from Inter Milan for a couple of months prior to finally getting their man.
This according to UK news outlet The Athletic, who report that the Red Devils had already held talks prior to the Champions League final.
27-year-old Cameroonian international Onana will be a Manchester United player next season.
The Cameroonian joined Inter last summer from Ajax. But he spent just one season at the Nerazzurri before making the switch to Old Trafford.
Inter signed Onana on a free transfer, and have sold him for a fee of around €55 million including add-ons.
Man United Coach Erik Ten Hag Insisted On Replacing David De Gea
According to The Athletic, United coach Erik ten Hag was initially willing to go into next season with club captain David De Gea still the first-choice keeper.
However, the Spaniard’s unconvincing displays against Manchester City in the FA Cup final and Sevilla in the Europa League were the last straw for the coach.
Ten Hag felt that it would be unacceptable for De Gea to still be the Number One next season. The Dutchman insisted on a new goalkeeper being a transfer priority.
United considered signing former Lille keeper Mike Maiganan from Inter’s city rivals AC Milan. But the Rossoneri warned them off with a €100 million asking price.
Inter, on the other hand, showed willingness to negotiate.
The Nerazzurri made their initial asking price of €70 million clear. But, crucially, there was always a sense that they’d come down to around €60 million.
United felt that the conditions were there for negotiate with Inter. And the player, as well, would be willing to link up with his former coach from Ajax.
Man United Held Talks With Onana Prior To UCL Final
According to The Athletic, Onana’s name came up in talks between United and an intermediary regarding a different Inter player – Denzel Dumfries.
This convinced United that the Cameroonian could be a viable target.
According to The Athletic, ten Hag spoke with the player personally.
The Red Devils sounded out a move prior to the Champions League final against Manchester City.
Then, Onana’s performance against City did nothing to dissuade them.
Just as City coach Pep Guardiola had been, ten Hag was impressed with how Onana performed in the final.
Then, it was down to United negotiating with Inter. They did so, and it was done. Onana has joined United.
