Manchester United’s decision to sign Andre Onana from Inter Milan in the summer of 2023 turned out to be a disaster, but they have already rectified that by signing Senne Lammens last year. The Red Devils were looking for a long-term replacement for club legend David de Gea when they turned their attention to the Cameroonian.
The Spanish custodian was displaying signs of decline and the Premier League giants wanted to address the issue by moving for Onana. Former manager Erik ten Hag, who had worked with the player at Ajax, secured a reunion at Old Trafford.
The Cameroonian was coming off an impressive campaign in which he featured in the UEFA Champions League final with the Nerazzurri. This was enough to convince United to pay approximately £47.2 million for his signature.
Onana struggled to live up to expectations
Onana was impressive with the ball at his feet and did occasionally show signs of brilliance at the Theatre of Dreams. However, his error-prone performances soon divided opinion among fans.
The Cameroonian conceded 150 goals in 102 appearances for United, registering 24 clean sheets. Onana dropped behind Altay Bayindir at the beginning of last season, and his position was further affected by the Red Devils’ acquisition of Lammens from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day.
The 30 year old eventually joined Trabzonspor on loan and has had a decent spell in Turkey. Meanwhile, Lammens has enjoyed an outstanding debut campaign and is now United’s new No. 1, raising further doubts about Onana’s future.
The Cameroonian is due to return to Old Trafford this summer, but no longer has a future with the Premier League giants. A recent report relayed by The Peoples Person states that Trabzonspor could return for the player this summer.
While things did not work out between him and United, Inter Milan will have no regrets about the transfer.
Andre Onana: Stats by Club
| Club | Appearances | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajax | 214 | 192 | 83 | 18 | - | 19,183' |
| Manchester United | 102 | 150 | 24 | 7 | - | 9,300' |
| Inter | 41 | 36 | 19 | 4 | - | 3,720' |
| Ajax U21 | 39 | 66 | 4 | 2 | - | 3,510' |
| Trabzonspor | 33 | 40 | 6 | 3 | - | 2,917' |
| Barcelona YL | 6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | - | 540' |
| Total | 435 | 491 | 138 | 35 | - | 39,170' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
Best transfer in the club’s history
Speaking on the Supernova podcast, Inter Milan director Piero Ausilio hailed Onana’s sale as the best transfer in the club’s history. He said: “Inter are proud of the Onana [deal].”
“It depends on what we’re talking about. If it’s about a capital gain, then probably Onana [is the best deal]. He joined Inter on a free transfer and left for an enormous fee. I think it may be the highest capital gain in the club’s history. Only deals like the Ibrahimovic one get close.”
Zlatan left Inter in the summer of 2009 to move to Barcelona in a reported £57 million deal.
Final Thoughts
United fans will be relieved that Onana’s nightmare spell at Old Trafford is all but over. INEOS must cash in on the Cameroonian this summer, although offloading him permanently will not be easy.
Featured image Ahmad Moura via Getty Images
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