Manchester United can finally give Erik ten Hag what he wants with goalkeeper transfer
Manchester United have been left behind on and off the pitch in recent seasons.
The lack of investment or even interest from the Glazer family means the Reds are behind the curve compared to their rivals.
Erik ten Hag set about closing the football gap last season with United finishing third and winning the Carabao Cup. A return to the Champions League, as well as an FA Cup final appearance, meant it was a reasonable return for the Dutchman in his first year at the helm.
But there are obvious issues on the field which the Reds need to address in the transfer market. If a striker is the clearest gap to fill then goalkeeper is probably next on the list. Ederson and Alisson have been part of a goalkeeping revolution in recent seasons, helping their respective sides to titles and European glory.
Both are adept between the posts but offer so much more besides. Their passing ability resembles midfielders of years past while their ability with the ball at their feet allows a more advantageous starting point for their teams.
In David de Gea, United had a player on the wane and one not capable of adapting with the times. He was never cut out for the desired Ten Hag style and while a fine mess has been made of the last few weeks and months as his contract has run down, a new stopper has long been required.
Enter Inter Milan’s Andre Onana. Built from the mould United need. At the World Cup in Qatar the Cameroon international had more touches outside of his box (26) than any other ‘keeper since records began in 1966. Throw in his ability to beat the Premiere League press with his passing range and you have a game-changing keeper.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola labelled him a ‘holding midfielder’ after the Champions League final win over Inter Milan, adding to CBS Sport: “Onana makes it really difficult to deploy a high press against. You cannot press the goalkeeper properly.”
Onana would clearly hand United another weapon and it doesn’t come at the cost of shot-stopping either. His save percentage last season of 71.8 per cent betters De Gea’s and he topped the Champions League table for goals prevented according to Opta, keeping out 7.8.
He is someone Erik ten Hag knows only too well from their time together at Ajax prior to Onana’s move to Italy on a free transfer. The Dutchman will have seen firsthand the type of player he is but also understands the type of person he could potentially have at Old Trafford.
The 27-year-old is fearless and determined. He earned the wrath of his national team manager Rigobert Song for refusing to change his style to meet the manager’s demands and was subsequently sent home from the World Cup last year.
He came through the Samuel Eto’o Academy and spent time with Barcelona as a youngster, further honing the skillset he displays so adeptly today. A six-year spell at Ajax saw him win trophy after trophy and while his copybook was blotted by a failed doping test, after mistaking his wife’s pregnancy medication for a headache tablet, his honesty and reflectiveness in the aftermath showed a person not hiding or looking for excuses.
“This was definitely not some crazy excuse I just made up. I didn’t invent anything. I wasn’t trying to cheat. All the evidence was there. This was just a stupid mistake,” he said, speaking in an interview with The Players’ Tribune.
“Now I’m back playing again, my dreams are the same as when I was a little kid sitting way up high in the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo. I want to win AFCON and become a legend for eternity.
“And I want to become the best goalie in the world. Everyone takes hits. Everyone falls. What I learned more than anything is it’s not about that. It’s about how you get up.”
There is no doubt he would improve United and you wouldn’t bet against Ten Hag bringing the best out of him. For a club who have been left to reflect on past glories all too often in the last decade, Onana could inspire a brighter future.
