Manchester United are closing in on a swoop for Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana in a deal that will complete a remarkable reversal in fortunes for the Cameroonian stopper.
The former Ajax No.1 is right at the top of the Red Devils’ summer shopping list as they attempt to find a replacement for David de Gea. Should a deal go through for Onana, he would be moving to Old Trafford fresh off the back of an excellent debut season for Inter Milan after helping the Italian side reach the Champions League final against Manchester City.
However, all of that might not have happened had Onana not taken on a defiant stance in the face of a nine-month doping ban. He was banned by UEFA in February 2021, initially for a whole year, for accidentally taking Lasimac, a Furosemide-based diuretic, as he attempted to overcome a painful headache.
Furosemide is a banned substance and was initially prescribed to Onana’s wife after giving birth. His explanation, that it was simply a mix-up of two packets and pills that looked identical, was accepted by UEFA though they refused to overturn their ban. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) also accepted there was "no significant fault", but only reduced Onana's ban by three months.
Onana was banned from all football activity, including training, and missed out on celebrating another league title with Ajax despite playing the majority of their matches that season. He even admitted that he considered giving up.
Speaking to The Guardian, Onana said: “You can’t even use the African Nations as motivation, a target, because logic says you won’t get there. Football turns its back.
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“I was just trying to survive, come back better. Try to always see the positive side. But sometimes you can’t. As a goalkeeper it’s difficult: you go, someone else plays.
“There are moments you think about giving in. I was lucky: I have good people. If that happens and you’re alone you’re going to give up. You won’t have the will to go through it.”
Determined to make up for lost time, Onana put together a dedicated team including a psychologist, a fitness coach, a physio, a nutritionist and more to ensure he came back in top form.
Onana helped Ajax to yet another Eredivisie crown upon his return, the fourth of his career. He then earned a move to Italian giants Inter Milan at the end of his contract in Amsterdam.
The 27-year-old made 41 appearances for Inter in all competitions last term. He also kept eight clean sheets in 13 games as the Serie A giants reached the Champions League final.
Even before that success, Onana claimed that it was hard to shake the unfair reputation that he had picked up during his ban. “It’s the way you’re perceived, too,” Onana added.
“It’s ‘doping’: you’re a ‘drug addict’. How are you going to explain to your parents that you’ve tested positive when you’ve never smoked or drunk?
“How do you get rid of this here [pointing to a label on his head]? There will still be people who think [I’m guilty]. People don’t always have time to be informed.
“The police stopped me in Belgium. The normal thing: ‘Documents?’ When I show my identity card, one of them recognises me. ‘Mr Onana, get out of the car.’ They check the whole car. The whole thing. I hear one say: ‘This guy takes loads of drugs.’”
Onana has managed to restore his reputation as one of the game's leading goalkeepers, with a reunion with former boss Erik ten Hag now imminent.
