Manchester United have a new first-choice goalkeeper after 12 years. Andre Onana has signed for the Red Devils from Inter Milan, replacing David de Gea between the sticks. However, the transfer was not as simple as just paying the fee for the player. It was much more complicated than that. Let’s jump into how this deal happened.

David de Gea's situation at Manchester United

When Onana was first told that Erik ten Hag wants to bring him to Manchester United, it was claimed that de Gea would stay at Old Trafford. The Spaniard had just won the Premier League Golden Glove for the second time in his United career, but his mistakes in the cup competitions had drawn massive criticism. 

Manchester United transfer

Before going to vocations, De Gea had informed the Manchester United staff that he would return to AON Training Complex after the board and player agreement. 

Ten Hag understood the consequences of a limited transfer budget. Considering United’s demand for a striker and a midfielder, he wanted de Gea to have one last season at Old Trafford. 

The doubts were there during the 1-0 defeat to West Ham in the Premier League and a 3-0 defeat to Sevilla in the Europa League. However, the two goals against Manchester City in the FA Cup final were too much to ignore. Initially, the plan was to let de Gea sign a one-year deal and let him have his “last dance.” However, things changed after the FA Cup final as the Spaniard’s mistakes were becoming too costly.

Inquiry of Andre Onana

Hence, just a few days before the Champions League final between Inter Milan and Manchester City, ten Hag decided to look at Onana. The Dutchman had previously worked with the Cameroonian goalkeeper at Ajax.

Yalcin Sarica, a senior agent at Wasserman Media Group, initially told the Manchester United manager about Denzel Dumfries. However, when he involved Onana in the discussion, ten Hag didn't hesitate to ask for his services. He had known the goalkeeper since 2019.

When Onana was told that ten Hag wanted him, he straight away agreed to move to the Red Devils from Inter Milan. Afterward, it was just a matter of time as both clubs negotiated the transfer fee.