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Andre Onana has the potential to be a transformative signing for Manchester United.
That is not one thing stated too typically a couple of goalkeeper however the Cameroonian, who United hope to sign from Inter Milan for around £43million, might take Erik ten Hag‘s crew to the following stage.
Onana, 27, may be very well-known to United’s supervisor given they spent four-and-a-half years working collectively at Ajax, however it’s honest to say it wasn’t at all times easy between them.
Nonetheless, it is clear Ten Hag desires Onana to succeed David de Gea as United’s No 1 and this provides us loads of clues about how the Dutchman desires his crew to play going ahead.
In some ways, Onana has a very contrasting type to De Gea.
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Manchester United are hopeful they will conclude a deal to signal Inter Milan keeper Onana
United supervisor Erik ten Hag labored along with Onana for four-and-a-half years at Ajax
Onana, seen dribbling previous Manchester Metropolis’s Erling Haaland within the Champions League remaining, has the potential to remodel the way in which United play
Whereas the Spaniard is an excellent shot-stopper able to spectacular saves that rescued United so many instances throughout his 12 years there, he is not essentially the most comfy with the ball at his toes.
That turned an increasing number of obvious final season, with errors additionally creeping into his sport.
Onana would exchange long-standing United No 1 David de Gea following his departure
De Gea made high-profile errors in opposition to Brentford, West Ham and Sevilla, earlier than being held answerable for Ilkay Gundogan’s profitable aim for Manchester Metropolis within the FA Cup remaining.
He typically regarded skittish when in possession of the ball and lacked the distribution expertise past the best of brief passes, normally to Lisandro Martinez when the Argentine was taking part in.
However, as he confirmed to an enormous viewers in Inter’s Champions League remaining defeat to Metropolis final month, Onana is solely comfy with the ball at his toes and has a blended vary of passing any outfield participant can be pleased with.
Common watchers of Serie A already knew this. In league matches final season, Onana accomplished all 224 brief passes he tried and 98 per cent of medium-range passes, based on FBref.
When it got here to pinged lengthy balls ahead to Inter’s forwards, 54.7 per cent discovered their goal. In whole, Onana accomplished 81.3 per cent of his 1030 tried passes.
It was this that noticed him usurp Samir Handanovic as Inter’s first-choice final season, taking part in each single minute of their Champions League run.
De Gea’s go completion in his 38 Premier League video games final season was 71.1 per cent and 43.6 per cent when it got here to tried lengthy balls. So Onana has a transparent edge in the case of distribution.
Onana’s prime class distribution would enable United to play in a really completely different method
The previous Cameroon worldwide is not afraid to dribble the ball out past his defenders
Ten Hag is huge on management in video games and management comes by possession of the ball. United did not obtain the specified management wherever close to typically sufficient final season, particularly in video games in opposition to more durable opposition away from residence.
However his United facet stays a piece in progress and Onana will take them ahead. Fairly actually, in truth, as a result of he usually likes to begin strikes from a extra superior place than the 2 centre-halves.
Whereas De Gea was wedded to his goalline, Onana will take extra dangers as a sweeper-keeper and advance United’s default place 10-20 yards additional ahead.
We could turn out to be used to seeing the keeper dribble the ball out past Martinez and Raphael Varane to the sting of midfield earlier than taking part in a diagonal go out vast to Luke Shaw or Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who’ll be urged to push ahead.
If they’re being marked, Onana could effectively try a fair longer go to Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho or no matter striker they deign to signal to get United attacking even faster.
Inter’s forwards – Romelu Lukaku, Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez – are all adept at holding the ball up so Onana’s passes on to them turned a helpful weapon.
Metropolis supervisor Pep Guardiola praised Onana’s capability to bypass a press earlier than the ultimate
The keeper has a great command of his penalty space, too, which can even attraction to United
As Pep Guardiola identified forward of the Champions League remaining, this permits Inter to bypass any type of excessive press and might drag opponents out of place.
United do not like being pressed and have not been expert at taking part in their method out from the again, so this could solely assist.
Onana can be a reasonably good shot stopper, even when maybe not at De Gea’s stage
In 2022-23, Onana performed simply 24 league video games for Inter however recorded eight shot-creating actions, that are the 2 actions previous to a shot being fired off. De Gea, in 38 matches, managed solely 5.
So Onana’s consolation on the ball, lack of panic in sticky conditions and vary of distribution are all positives and signify an improve on De Gea.
It ought to elevate United nearer to the requirements of Metropolis, Arsenal and Liverpool, groups who in latest seasons have been in a position to play themselves effortlessly out of hazard.
However Onana is undoubtedly a extra vibrant character and given United display screen their gamers extra fastidiously as of late given chief govt Richard Arnold’s ‘no d***heads’ coverage, some purple flags could have been raised.
Throughout final yr’s World Cup, Onana’s dedication to taking dangers with the ball at his toes led to a blazing row with Cameroon boss Rigobert Song and the keeper being despatched residence.
‘Onana places on a present in coaching however takes too many dangers throughout video games. I advised him repeatedly,’ It is best to take no dangers. Move the ball vast, not within the center,’ Track stated on the time.
Onana was dropped after Cameroon’s opening World Cup match in opposition to Switzerland and duly retired from worldwide soccer the next month after making 34 appearances.
Onana performed for Cameroon in opposition to Switzerland of their opening group sport in Qatar
However a blazing row with coach Rigobert Track (proper) led to Onana being despatched again residence
It is why United legend Rio Ferdinand was warning fans ‘there will be mistakes’ if Onana involves Outdated Trafford as he acclimatises to the Premier League.
However Ferdinand additionally praised him, including: ‘I feel he is a unbelievable signing… you see groups urgent him and he doesn’t even panic.’
Ten Hag recognises this already. He was Ajax’s No 1 when he turned their supervisor in December 2017 and remained first selection till February 2021 when he was banned below doping legal guidelines.
Onana, then 24, examined constructive for the banner substance Furosemide, a diuretic, after unintentionally taking a few of his spouse’s treatment when looking for an aspirin.
Banned initially for 12 months by UEFA, this was decreased to 9 months for the Court docket of Arbitration for Sport.
Ten Hag stood by Onana, whom he described as a ‘masterful keeper’ when at Ajax, publicly however their relationship soured when the keeper was eligible for choice once more in the direction of the tip of 2021-22.
Onana was Ajax’s goalkeeper once they agonisingly misplaced to Tottenham within the Champions League semi-finals below Ten Hag in 2019
Onana was not assured to be Ajax’s No 1, errors crept into his sport and Ten Hag wasn’t completely happy about his health ranges.
The keeper did not assist himself by biting again at supporters who booed him off the sector following an error, saying he ‘did not give a s***’.
By this time, his need to depart Ajax for Inter was obvious and Ten Hag dropped Onana for the Dutch Cup remaining in opposition to PSV Eindhoven. He did not play for them once more after that.
However all that’s clearly water below the bridge. Ten Hag was reportedly behind United’s decision to renege on a new contract for De Gea and there’s confidence a deal for Onana might be executed.
Whether it is, Ten Hag’s United ought to make extra ahead strides subsequent season.
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