Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is searching for a new No.1 this summer.
MEN Sport understands some within the club want to move on from David de Gea and that Ten Hag is now assessing his options. Inter Milan's Andre Onana has been linked with a transfer to Old Trafford with reports claiming the Dutchman has contacted the Serie A giants regarding their shot-stopper.
It is unsurprising to see Ten Hag look at Onana having previously worked with him at Ajax. One of the 27-year-old's key strengths is his top-class distribution - a quality needed to play in a Ten Hag team and something De Gea lacks.
Onana also has further links with United thanks to his days in Amsterdam. Reds legend Edwin van der Sar had a great relationship with the Cameroonian during his stint in the Eredivisie.
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When the 'keeper was linked with a move to Barcelona in 2018, Van der Sar put his foot down. "I think Andre is fantastic," he told GOAL.
"He came to Ajax aged 18 or 19 and the way he developed and the natural attributes that he already had, his speed, his reaction and I think he set himself as a great goalkeeper. He was in a rush to play first-team football quickly, but I think the level that he composed himself and that first year, playing straight away the UEFA Europa League final was a great start.
"Last year was a difficult season but this year again he has proven to be extremely valuable for the team and, besides that, he is a great guy."
The feeling is clearly mutual as Onana has expressed how he sees Van der Sar as a role model. He told the Daily Mail in 2021: "It’s impossible to have a better footballing godfather. Every time we lost, he would come to talk to me because he knows that losing is something that I can’t abide.
"He would advise me a lot, we had a very good relationship, he was one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his time."
Whether Onana's respect for Van der Sar would see him switch to United to follow in his footsteps is unclear. But the links to both Ten Hag and Van der Sar could encourage Onana to make a move to Old Trafford.
A Manchester Evening News special souvenir edition - Fergie's First - charts United's 1992/93 title-winning campaign and you can get your hands on one here
