Andre Onana’s agent reveals two Premier League rivals tried to sign Man Utd goalkeeper

Andre Onana’s agent has revealed Manchester United were not the only Premier League club who enquired about signing the goalkeeper earlier this year.

The Cameroon star signed for United last week for an initial £44m, a figure that could rise to £48m. Onana also played his first match for United on Thursday as the Red Devils were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid in Texas, and is expected to be involved when the team take on Borussia Dortmund on Monday.

But it could have been very different for the 27-year-old, had he opted for a move to Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur, who expressed interest in signing him. Onana’s agent, Albert Botines, has revealed it was the prospect of linking up with Erik ten Hag again that convinced the stopper to join United.

“It all started a few months ago,” Botines told Italian outlet Calciomercato. “Around April many people enquired about the player. Tottenham asked for information, Chelsea had a very strong interest.

“There were meetings in London and Chelsea had also met with Inter, but the figure of Ten Hag was key. We are looking forward to facing great coaches like [Pep] Guardiola and trying to win titles with Manchester United,” he added. “We have a great desire.”

Onana previously worked with Ten Hag at Ajax, where the pair famously helped the Dutch club reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019. The Cameroon international went one better last season and made it to the final of Europe’s elite competition with Inter Milan, only to be beaten by Manchester City in Istanbul.