How Onana fell out with Ten Hag

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 11 Jul 2023 05:34 CDT
• 3 min read

Andre Onana is set to replace David de Gea as Manchester United's No.1 after Erik ten Hag insisted on the goalkeeper's signing, but things haven't always been so rosy between the two.

United are closing on the €60 million transfer of Onana, the ball-playing Cameroonian shot-stopper who impressed on Inter Milan's run to the Champions League final last season - where they were edged 1-0 by Manchester City.

Before starring for Inter, Onana was Ten Hag's first-choice goalkeeper at Ajax, and the pair won the Dutch domestic treble together in 2019. But they fell out before going their separate ways last summer - Onana to Inter and Ten Hag to Man Utd.

READ: Why Onana could be the best Man Utd transfer of the Ten Hag era

Onana booed by Ajax fans

"Onana had been booed off the field by his own fans despite the team winning as he had conceded from a mistake, to which he said he 'did not give a s***,' The Daily Mirror recount of a 2-1 win over Sparta Rotterdam in April 2022.

"The goalkeeper had already established he was on his way out of the club and Ten Hag was unimpressed by his attitude in the closing weeks of the campaign.

"…Onana was dropped entirely from the Ajax squad for their Dutch Cup final against PSV Eindhoven at the end of the campaign, which Ten Hag's side lost 2-1. Veteran goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg was selected […]and Onana did not play for the club again."

READ: Bruno Fernandes UNHAPPY with De Gea's Man Utd exit

The pair have apparently since patched up their differences, and Onana will arrive at Old Trafford as the Red Devil's No.1 now that De Gea has been allowed to leave the club on a free transfer.

United have also reportedly made a €5m bid for Urawa Red Diamond's Zion Suzuki, but the Arkansas-born Japan youth international is set to act as Onana's understudy.