Man Utd close to £43m deal for Andre Onana after Erik ten Hag request

Manchester United have made a concrete move for Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana and are hoping to secure a £43million deal, according to reports in Italy.

The Red Devils are looking to bring in a new number one this summer with David de Gea’s future at Old Trafford hanging in the balance.

Although the Spaniard has been offered a new deal on greatly reduced terms – which he had been expected to sign – he is still yet to put pen to paper and now has a vastly more lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia.

De Gea is also aware that United want to bring in a new keeper even if he does extend his stay, with his status as the club’s number one no longer assured.

Manager Erik ten Hag is eager to bring in a more modern goalkeeper who has better distribution, with the Dutchman’s football philosophy reliant on a keeper who can play out from the back.

United had been linked with the likes of Brentford’s David Raya and Porto shot-stopper Diogo Costa, but now Italian outlet Sport Mediaset are claiming a move for Onana is advancing.

Brentford had been demanding £40m for Raya even though he only has one year left on his contract, while Porto want Costa’s £64.5m release clause to be paid in full.

Inter are much more open to selling Onana and feel he is the ideal player to cash in on, having arrived at the club a year ago on a free transfer – which means any sale will be pure profit and ideal from a Financial Fair Play perspective.

According to the report, United are ready to put up an offer worth the £43m plus bonuses that Inter are demanding and the deal is being driven by Ten Hag.

The Dutchman is eager to be reunited with Onana, who he managed at Ajax, and has decided he is the ideal number one.

Contact has already been made with the Cameroonian’s entourage and he is open to the switch and keen to work under Ten Hag again.

Chelsea have also been interested in Onana but have made little progress in talks over the past few weeks and there are suggestions they may now be trying to prise Costa from Porto instead.

Ten Hag’s high opinion of Onana is said to have been crucial to United’s hierarchy accelerating their push for a deal with Inter and the 27-year-old is seen as the perfect fit given his outstanding distribution and composure on the ball.

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