Andre Onana: Manchester United’s Opening Bid Rejected by Inter Milan
Manchester United have seen their opening bid for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana rejected by the Serie A giants. The Red Devils placed a bid of around £34.4m, with bonuses that could have taken the deal to around £38.5m, but this is below Inter Milan’s asking price of £44m and the Italians rejected the offer, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.
The Cameroonian is Erik ten Hag’s first choice to replace David De Gea, who is a free agent after his contract expired on July 1st. Though United remain in talks with the Spaniard over a new deal at the club, it remains unlikely that De Gea will agree new terms.
Onana is valued at around £44m (Photo by Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images)But United will have to increase their bid for Onana if they want to sign the former Ajax star and Inter want the matter resolved within a fortnight. United expect to complete a deal for Mason Mount this week after the midfielder was at Carrington on Monday to undergo a medical with the club. Chelsea accepted a £55m bid from United last week and Ten Hag will have just £65m left of his budget once Mount is through the door.
United will therefore have to raise significant funds through player sales for the Dutchman to land a top striker in the window. Ten Hag is desperate to sign a new centre forward and will listen to offers for Dean Henderson, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles, Donny van de Beek, Eric Bailly, Anthony Elanga, Fred and Anthony Martial in order to raise funds.
The Red Devils are in desperate need of a new goalkeeper and Onana is one of the most highly-rated shot-stoppers in Europe. The 25-year-old has been at Ajax since 2015 and has made over 200 appearances for the Dutch side, helping them win four Eredivisie titles and reach the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
Onana has also been capped 20 times by Cameroon and was part of their squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017. He has also been named in the CAF Team of the Year three times and was nominated for the 2019 Ballon d’Or.
Onana is an excellent shot-stopper and his reflexes and agility make him one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. He is also comfortable with the ball at his feet and is an excellent distributor of the ball, which would suit United’s style of play under Ten Hag.
However, United will have to increase their bid if they want to sign Onana, as Inter Milan are not willing to budge on their asking price of £44m. The Red Devils will also have to raise significant funds through player sales if they want to sign a top striker in the window, as Ten Hag only has £65m left of his budget once Mason Mount is through the door.
It remains to be seen whether United can agree a deal with Inter Milan for Onana, but it looks like they will have to raise their bid if they want to sign the Cameroonian international. In the meantime, Ten Hag will be looking to offload some of his players in order to raise funds for a top striker.