According to a recent claim made by renowned journalist, Duncan Castles (via Manchester Evening News), Manchester United have seen a ‘recent bid’ declined by AFC Ajax for Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana. The same source has revealed that the Eredivisie giants are looking to recoup around €40m for their prized asset with the Red Devils eager to snap him up as a replacement for David De Gea if the Spaniard ends up leaving the club during the summer transfer window.
Onana’s Recent Emergence In The Dutch Top-Flight
Onana has enjoyed a brilliant season with Ajax steering them to another Dutch Eredivisie title. He has also been instrumental behind their fairy-tale run in the UEFA Champions League this term as he put in some outstanding performances in between the sticks which helped Ajax reach the semi-final stage of the competition where they were eventually knocked out by Tottenham Hotspur in heart-breaking fashion.
The 23-year-old has featured in 55 matches for the Dutch giants, conceding 45 goals while keeping 26 clean sheets across all competitions. Onana is a product of the Samuel Eto’o academy. He got the honour of playing for Barcelona at a young age at various youth levels. However, Onana was unable to break into Barca’s first-team and was shipped out to Ajax at the beginning of 2015.
Since his move to the Johan Cruijff ArenA, the Cameroonian international has established himself among the best keepers in the Eredivisie. He has also earned eight international caps for Cameroon thus far.
What Will The Cameroonian Goalie Add To Solskjaer’s Team?
Onana can pass the ball accurately and is not afraid to play out from the back. He has decent reflexes and is an excellent shot-stopper. However, he can sometimes find himself in the wrong positions, which is always a risk for a floating ‘sweeper keeper’ like him. Onana’s ball-handling has also got a lot of room for improvement so the Red Devils won’t be getting a world-class keeper if they opt for him to replace De Gea at Old Trafford.
Will Onana Be A Good Choice For The Red Devils?
However, the Cameroonian keeper can still be a decent alternative for the Spaniard if he can improve his game in the coming years. At 23, Onana is about to embark upon the peak years of his playing career which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could look to benefit from over the next few seasons.
Overall, the Ajax keeper could prove to be an excellent alternative to De Gea if Ed Woodward can find a way to lure him to the Theatre of Dreams this summer.
