The agent of Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has provided an insight into the process which ultimately culminated in his client swapping San Siro for Old Trafford.
On the back of months of speculation linking Cameroonian international Onana with a move to Manchester, this day last week, his arrival, of course, was at long last made official.
This came after the powers that be at United agreed to fork over a fee with the potential to rise to €57 million to their counterparts at Champions League finalists Inter Milan.
That’s his name 👇@AndreyOnana is United! 🔴#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 20, 2023
Onana’s signing has since been widely hailed by fans and pundits alike, with the 27-year-old far more suited to the style of play utilised by Erik ten Hag than predecessor David de Gea.
Had it not been for the presence of Ten Hag on the bench at the Theatre of Dreams, however, then Onana’s future, in fact, could well have laid elsewhere.
Speaking to the media this week, the goalkeeper’s agent, Albert Botines, was drawn on his client’s decision to make the move to Manchester.
“It all started a few months ago,” he told Italian outlet Calciomercato. “Around April many people inquired about the player. Tottenham asked for information, Chelsea had a very strong interest.”
In the end, though, despite a number of meetings with Chelsea, the man in charge at Old Trafford made all the difference:
“There were meetings in London and Chelsea had also met with Inter, but the figure of Ten Hag was key.”
Chelsea were one of two Premier League teams interested #mufchttps://t.co/weuguHymQ3
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) July 27, 2023
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