DEAL AGREED! – Man United finally make Andre Onana breakthrough and could complete £40m transfer TONIGHT

DEAL AGREED! – Man United finally make Andre Onana breakthrough and could complete £40m transfer TONIGHT

Manchester United are chasing Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, who worked with Erik ten Hag at Ajax, and are ready to strike a deal for the Cameroon international

After a breakthrough in the negotiations to recruit Andre Onana from Inter Milan, Manchester United might have a new goalkeeper by Friday night.

The two clubs established a verbal agreement with the 27-year-old goalkeeper on Thursday night, and negotiations for a transfer fee of about £40 million moved advanced significantly.

Justin Bijlow, a 25-year-old goalkeeper for Feyenoord, is still being discussed by United in case there are any last-minute issues with Onana.

When United worried that Inter’s demands for Onana would not meet their own assessment, they started talking to the Dutchman.

However, a deal with United for the Cameroonian international is currently very close, and the goalkeeper is reportedly working out the finer points of his contract.

The length of that deal is one factor still being discussed, with two options on the table. The first is a four-year deal with the option of a further 12 months in United’s favour, while the second is a straight five-year deal.

Andre Onana
Onana’s capture would wrap up a very good week for United boss Erik ten Hag’s following Mason Mount ’s £60m signing from Chelsea. And it would see the keeper reunited with Ten Hag, with whom he enjoyed success at Ajax.

Onana impressed greatly in Serie A with Inter last season while helping the Italian giants reach the Champions League final, which they lost to Manchester City.

He is widely regarded as one of the best footballing goalkeepers in the world and Ten Hag sees him as a better fit in the way he wants his team to play than David de Gea.

Onana has also been offered a move to Saudi Arabia this summer as Pro League clubs splash the cash. But the Cameroon No.1 is now set to snub Saudi offers with a move to United and the Premier League very close to being agreed.

United had considered Brentford’s David Raya and Porto’s Diogo Costa, but were put off by their price tags. The Bees were demanding £40m for Raya, while Porto value Costa at around £64m.

De Gea’s £375,000-a-week deal expired at the end of June, leaving United to find a new goalkeeper following the addition of Mount from Chelsea. Dean Henderson is back in training at Carrington, but is keen to leave the club permanently following his loan to Nottingham Forest last season.

United were forced to use short-term loan deals for Martin Dubravka and Jack Butland last season to provide cover for De Gea and Ten Hag has now prevented 37-year-old Tom Heaton from leaving to join newly-promoted Luton Town