Man Utd's reason for signing Onana over other targets as goalkeeper struggles
Manchester United looked at other options before settling on Andre Onana as their new goalkeeper, and the Cameroonian's personality is said to have been a big factor in him getting the nod.
Onana joined from Inter Milan in a £47million move over the summer, having helped the Italian side reach the final of last season's Champions League. Things have been tough for the former Ajax star in Manchester, though, with high-profile errors damaging his team both domestically and in the Champions League.
The 27-year-old has come in for criticism since replacing David de Gea between the sticks, with some fans convinced De Gea - still without a club - could yet return to Old Trafford. United are still understood to be backing their new man, though, having used the same reasoning with his signing that they used when bringing in Onana's team-mates Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro.
According to ESPN, United also looked at David Raya and Diogo Costa before settling on Onana. Spanish keeper Raya ended up joining Arsenal on an initial loan - with an option to make his move from Brentford permanent - while Portugal star Costa has stayed at Porto.
Onana's form for Inter is said to have impressed United's recruitment department, but that's not the only plus point. Inter kept five clean sheets in six Champions League knockout games last term, including a 3-0 aggregate victory over AC Milan, but their keeper's character proved just as important as his saves.
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ESPN indicates that personality was similarly important when it came to Casemiro and Martinez, both of whom joined in the summer of 2022. The pair were regulars as Ten Hag's team finished third in the league and won the Carabao Cup, but Martinez has struggled with injury this season while Casemiro's form has dropped off.
Did Manchester United make the right call with Andre Onana? Have your say in the comments section
Andre Onana has made some high-profile errors since joining Manchester United (PETER POWELL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Former Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has wondered aloud whether Ten Hag might need to drop Onana. The Australian has compared the situation to that faced by Claudio Bravo, who struggled early on after joining Manchester City and eventually made way for good when Ederson arrived at the Etihad Stadium
"Bravo was used to playing the way Pep [Guardiola] wanted to play," Schwarzer wrote for Optus Sport. "They knew each other very, very well and while he was a decent shot stopper, he was more known for his ability with his feet and playing out from the back.
"But the difficulty was Manchester City were not Barcelona. They played differently. City had a raft of new players for Bravo to get used to playing with too and they overplayed at times, made it unnecessarily complicated and made mistakes when pressed.
"And that’s where Bravo became caught out and his biggest strength turning into his biggest weakness, because he couldn’t use it. He became exposed for his goalkeeping, which was below the level of his ability with his feet. It’s the same with Onana."
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