According to Voetbal Nieuws, Andre Onana has opted to join Chelsea in the summer, rejecting advances from Tottenham Hotspur in the process. The report states that Spurs were among the clubs interested in the services of Onana. But, will it seriously serve as a massive blow for Jose Mourinho?
Tottenham’s woes in the goalkeeping department
Tottenham Hotspur have struggled in the defensive department this season. While the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez have failed to provide consistency, first-choice ‘keeper Hugo Lloris missed a chunk of the campaign due to an elbow injury that kept him on the sidelines for more than three months.
As a result, Mourinho had to rely on the services of Paulo Gazzaniga. The Argentine has fared well but has lacked that extraordinary element that the likes of Alisson, Ederson and even Dean Henderson have provided this season.
Meanwhile, Lloris returned to full fitness earlier this year. But, his massive decline within the past couple of years has been quite evident. And at the age of 33, Spurs need to find a suitable long-term replacement in the near future if they are to compete with Premier League’s big clubs.
Why Andre Onana could have been a perfect choice
As established earlier, Tottenham need a quality goalkeeper who can fill in for an ageing Lloris in the future. Onana fits the description perfectly as he had a lot of success at Ajax.
The Cameroon international helped the Dutch giants win the Eredivisie last season, and his contributions in between the sticks were critical as the club sensationally reached the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League. He has been able to replicate his performances this season as well, having kept seven clean sheets in 20 league games.
Onana has a tall 1.90m frame that allows him to dominate the air, especially when defending set-pieces. Moreover, the Ajax star has quick reflexes and is also pretty good when it comes to distributing possession from the back.
Therefore, Onana’s style of play and skill set could have made him an ideal replacement for Lloris. With the 23-year-old on the verge of a move to Chelsea, it could serve as a massive blow for Tottenham.
