Erik ten Hag wins Andre Onana’s transfer battle for Man Utd as goalkeeper repays his support
Manchester United have asked for information on Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp. Both would be cheaper options. But Erik ten Hag wants Andre Onana
Erik ten Hag is a big fan of Andre Onana (
Erik ten Hag has won his battle to make Andre Onana his new number 1, two years after remaining with the Cameroon national team when he was suspended for failing a drug test.
Onana was playing for Ten Hag at Ajax when he tested positive for furosemide, a banned diuretic often used as a masking agent to hide other substances. He claimed he accidentally took one of his wife’s diet pills, believing it to be aspirin. The tablets were prescribed to her after giving birth. Onana was suspended for one year, but his sentence was reduced to nine months on appeal. The goalkeeper insists he made an innocent mistake.
And he never forgot how Ten Hag stood by him during the worst days of his career. Ajax had his wages cut when the suspension came into effect, but Ten Hag refused to sentence him. And Onana is now set to move £50m to Old Trafford just a year after leaving Ajax for Inter Milan.
Ten Hag has made it clear he wants to replace out-of-contract David De Gea with a new goalkeeper. But with FFP considerations limiting his budget to £120million, he struggled to persuade his bosses to spend the money when other areas of his squad needed reinforcement.
United have inquired about Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp. Both would be cheaper options. The Reds even made Bijlow a contract offer which would increase his salary by 400%.
But Ten Hag wants Onana. He sees the 27-year-old as an important signing looking to close the gap with Manchester City. And after guiding United to a third place in the Premier League, winning the Carabao Cup and reaching the FA Cup final, club bosses believe their manager has earned the right to shape transfer policy.
far from reaching the 2019 Champions League final before being blocked by a spectacular final rally from Tottenham. Edwin Vanva, former Manchester United goalkeeper