Edwin van der Sar says £47.2m Man Utd star is "world-class", he's poised to leave the club
Manchester United legend Edwin van der Sar has described goalkeeper Andre Onana as ‘world-class’ in a brief interview with ESPN.
Onana signed for the Red Devils from Inter Milan for £47.2 million in 2023. He was the club’s regular goalkeeper for two seasons.
He lost his starting position to Altay Bayindir at the start of the current campaign and was eventually loaned out to Trabzonspor.
Onana has since been ever-present in the Turkish Super Lig, and he is widely expected to leave United permanently this summer.
The Cameroonian star may not have a future at Old Trafford, but Van der Sar certainly believes he is world-class at the moment.
Onana is no longer a ‘world-class’ goalkeeper
The former Ajax shot-stopper joined the Red Devils from Inter after a standout 2022/23 campaign. He was fantastic for the Nerazzurri during their 1-0 Champions League final loss to Manchester City.
Onana made a good start for the Red Devils and caught the eye with his strong distribution. However, his slight weakness in other attributes were exposed during his two full seasons in the Premier League.
The Cameroonian has some vulnerability when it comes to catching crosses into the box. His shot-saving has been questionable too. He made five errors leading to goals during the previous season.
Onana also had a forgettable League Cup second round tie against Grimsby Town this campaign. He made two high-profile errors. United eventually bowed out of the competition on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Hence, his departure on loan was not a surprise. Senne Lammens was signed from Antwerp to replace him, and the Belgian has gone on to become the undisputed starter in goal for United.
In our view, Onana is no longer a world-class goalkeeper. Van der Sar obviously loves Onana and knows him from his time as Ajax’s CEO. We believe that could be behind his ‘world-class’ verdict.
The 29-year-old looks set to depart the Red Devils this summer. Initial talks have been held with his former club Inter, who have earmarked him as a replacement for Yann Sommer next season.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .