Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has heaped praise on new signing Andre Onana and believes he will bring something different on the field.
The Red Devils signed the Cameroonian star from Inter Milan earlier this month. He had an impressive debut in the friendly against Real Madrid this week.
Despite conceding twice, Onana was exciting to watch between the sticks. He completed 39 out of his 41 passes attempted against Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
He delivered four long balls while making three saves and one high claim. The former Ajax man also registered one successful run-out for the Red Devils.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Ten Hag was asked about the change from David de Gea to Onana this summer, and he was full of praise for the 27-year-old.
The Dutch tactician said that Onana is a ‘great’ goalkeeper who has a ‘different profile’. He added that ‘something will change’ with him on the field.
He replied: “He’s a great goalkeeper and has a different profile. That’s why we wanted to sign him. With him, something will change in our game.”
Onana will be a big upgrade in United’s goal
De Gea kept an impressive 25 clean sheets in the recent campaign. Out of those, 17 came in the Premier League as he won the Golden Glove award.
Despite the positives, the Spaniard was unconvincing with his distribution. He struggled to make short passes against the press and put the ball out of play on occasions.
The 32-year-old was also vulnerable when facing long shots. He conceded four goals due to goalkeeping errors in the top-flight. This led to criticism from some supporters.
In Onana, United have a big upgrade in goal next season. The Cameroonian is better with his all-round attributes. He is strong with the ball at his feet which Ten Hag prefers.
The Cameroonian is also very mobile. He has the ability to make high claims when required and does not shy away from operating as a sweeper-keeper at times.
We are not surprised that the manager is delighted to have him in the squad. Hopefully, United can improve on last season and challenge for the league title.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
