Andre Onana said that a move to Manchester United was “irresistible” and is thrilled about his upcoming reunion with “master” Erik ten Hag.
To complete his transfer from Inter to United, the goalkeeper has already arrived in Manchester. According to rumours, the Red Devils will pay a base cost of €51 million (£43.8 million/$57.3 million) plus an additional €4 million (£3.4 million/$4.5 million) in add-ons for the Cameroonian player.
Onana conceded that the move to the Premier League was “irresistible” in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport before being formally introduced as a United player, but he also stated that he would have been content to stay at Inter if the trade hadn’t gone through.
“The important thing is to be honest and always tell people the truth. I am a person who always wants new challenges,” he said. “Playing in the Premier League and for a club like United is irresistible. All parties wanted this to happen. But what matters is that if I had stayed, I would have been happy because I never had any problems at Inter.”
Onana has praised Erik ten Hag as a “master” and is getting ready to work with the former Ajax manager once more.
“Now I really want to start this new experience, exciting and with a coach who for me is a master,” he added. “I will go to a great league and a great club, which has a huge history just like that of Inter: I will start from scratch and give everything every day to show the new fans who I am.
After Inter’s loss to Manchester City in the 2022–23 Champions League final, the 27-year-old almost lost out on the title, but he is still keen to do so with his new team.
“Pride and sadness. You don’t know how much I would have loved to bring the trophy to Milan, celebrate it with our people,” he said. “We were close to touching it, we deserved it: we played against City head-on, only details were missing, but this is football… Personally, I hope to win the Champions League with United, but I also hope that Inter will replay a final and win it.”
Onana will be formally introduced as a United player once he has finished his medical at the team’s training facility and has signed all the necessary paperwork. He is anticipated to travel with the team on its American preseason trip.
