MILAN, ITALY - MAY 16: Andre Onana of FC Internazionale celebrates after Lautaro Martinez of FC ... [+]
Manchester United have signed the Cameroon international goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan for an initial fee of £43.8 million.
The deal is still subject to international clearance, but United do not see that as being a problem and have announced Onana has joined them on a five year contract that runs until the summer of 2028, with the option for a further year.
Onana was the United manager Erik ten Hag’s number one choice to replace David De Gea after the Spanish keeper was allowed to leave Old Trafford this summer.
The 27-year-old Onana began his professional career with Ajax, where he played under Ten Hag for four seasons, and made a total of 214 appearances. He also won three league titles and two KNVB Cups.
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JUNE 10: Andre Onana (L) of Inter screams to Erling Haaland (R) of Manchester ... [+]
Last summer he moved to Inter Milan on a free transfer and helped the Italian side reach the Champions League final where they lost 1-0 to Manchester City.
On the way to the final he kept the most clean sheets in the competition. He also won the Coppa Italia last season beating Fiorentina in the final.
“To join Manchester United is an incredible honour and I have worked hard all my life to get to this moment, overcoming many obstacles along the way,” said Onana.
“Walking out at Old Trafford to defend our goal and contribute to the team will be another amazing experience. This is the start of a new journey for me, with new teammates, and new ambitions to fight for.”
“Manchester United has a long history of incredible goalkeepers, and I will now give everything to create my own legacy in the coming years.”
COMO, ITALY - JULY 15: Raffaele Di Gennaro of FC Internazionale, Ionut Radu of FC Internazionale, ... [+]
“I am excited by the opportunity to work again with Erik ten Hag, and I can’t wait to play my part in the success I know he is determined to deliver at this great football club.”
United scouted several other goalkeepers including Brentford’s David Raya and Porto’s Diogo Costa but were in full agreement that Onana would be their perfect signing for the position.
“Andre was our top choice to become the new goalkeeper for Manchester United, with exactly the right profile of technical attributes and personality,” said the United football director John Murtough.
“Having achieved success throughout his career, we know that André will further add to the winning mentality we are building within our squad. He is already one of the world’s best goalkeepers at the age of 27 and we firmly believe that he can develop even further over the coming years.”