Inter Milan are "waiting" for Man United to make their move for keeper Andre Onana.
The goalkeeper issue at Old Trafford took another twist on Friday when David de Gea's contract officially expired without an agreement for a new deal being reached. The Spaniard, who signed for Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011, has been asked to take a huge cut to his previous £375,000-a-week wages, although talks of a compromise remain ongoing.
But his future could yet rest on United's pursuit of Onana, who worked with Erik ten Hag during his six year stint at Ajax. He moved from the Dutch club to Inter 12 months ago, and was instrumental in them reaching the final of the Champions League last season.
United have reportedly met with representatives of the Cameroon international, and now Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed the Premier League outfit have registered their interest. And the Italian giants are now awaiting an offer as Ten Hag still seeks his first confirmed signing of the summer.
"Manchester United confirmed to us that they are interested in Andre Onana" Marotta said, via The Athletic. "We are waiting for an official proposal in the next days, then we will decide how to react right after."
United had previously been linked to Brentford's David Raya, but the London club's £40 million valuation seemingly scuppered their interest. And a sign of the uncertainty around the No 1 position next season has been apparent this week with Ten Hag blocking the move of back-up keeper Tom Heaton to Luton.
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Indeed, the Dutch boss will also be aware that the potential signing of Onana, 27, will come with a caveat. He will inevitably be involved in the Africa Cup of Nations in January, meaning he would be likely to miss a number of key fixtures.
But as the prolonged takeover saga at the club rumbles on, Ten Hag is desperate to get signings over the line as he seeks reinforcements ahead of a return to the Champions League in 2023/24. The Red Devils have agreed a deal of £60 million for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, although the move is yet to be officially confirmed.
And the search for a top striker is also yet to yield success. United have been linked with Tottenham's Harry Kane, but no official bid has been submitted amid Bayern Munich making a move for the England captain.
