New Man Utd No.1 Onana explains why he left Barcelona

Tom Weber

• Updated: 22 Jul 2023 17:55 BST
• 3 min read

Andre Onana has explained the reason behind his decision to leave Barcelona's famed La Masia academy.

The Cameroonian shot-stopped has joined Manchester United from Inter in a deal worth an initial €52.5 million, but, in an alternate reality, he could potentially be tending the net at the Camp Nou nowadays.

That's because he rose through the ranks in Barcelona's youth set-up after joining from Samuel Eto'o's academy in his native Cameroon. In 2015, however, he left Catalonia to join Dutch giants Ajax in the Eredivisie. There, he eventually broke into Erik ten Hag's senior squad and established himself as one of the Dutchman's best performers.

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Speaking to the Players' Tribune, Onana has explained why he felt it was time to move on back then.

What did Onana say?

"When I arrived, I was living in La Masia. It was one of my best times," the 27-year-old said. "They told me: 'Andre, you have the quality to continue. You might have an opportunity.'"

"But at the same time, it was difficult, because they bought [Claudio] Bravo, they bought [Marc-Andre] Ter Stegen, who was 22 at the time. It was impossible to continue for me, and that’s why I decided to look for something new, somewhere else, and I think Ajax was the best place for me to come. The club gives a lot of opportunities to young players."

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In 2021, he told SPORT: "I continue to be in contact with Barca. I have a very, very good relationship since I left. Barca is my home and there has always been contact. It is my home, and I grew up there." He also revealed that he would jump at the opportunity to eventually return.

His move to Manchester United made Onana the third-most expensive goalkeeper in history, but had he not made the decision to leave La Masia in 2015, he may have never reached those heights.