Manchester United have finalised the signing of goalkeeper Andre Onana, who has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the club.
United completed a contract with Inter worth an initial €51 million plus a further €4 million in add-ons earlier this week, and Onana had a physical at Carrington on Wednesday.
The goalkeeper flew to New York earlier on Thursday to join his new colleagues for the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, and the move is officially finalized, subject to international clearance.
Onana will take over as Manchester United’s No. 1 goalkeeper after David de Gea departed the club on a free transfer last month. Erik ten Hag is familiar with Onana, a 27-year-old Cameroon international who played 145 games for him at Ajax before moving to Inter, where he impressed in the Chamapions League final last month.
Onana expressed excitement at the chance to work with Ten Hag again and hopes to leave his mark in Old Trafford’s long history of goalkeepers.
“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,” he said.
“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. 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’s football director, John Murtough, stated that Onana was his first pick to take over in goal next season.
“André was our top choice to become the new goalkeeper for Manchester United, with exactly the right profile of technical attributes and personality,” he said.
“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 and at the age of 27 and we firmly believe that he can develop even further over the coming years.”
