Manchester United are in pole position to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana with Chelsea pulling out of the race, according to Standard Sport.
The Cameroonian star had a brilliant debut campaign at Inter last season, keeping 20 clean sheets from 43 appearances across all competitions.
Despite this, the Nerazzurri are open to cashing in on him due to their financial problems, but it appears Chelsea are no longer in the transfer pursuit.
The Blues started talks with Inter earlier this month, but have ended their interest after the Nerazzurri refused to lower their £50 million price tag.
United are now in the front seat to land Onana, but a move could heavily depend on the future of David de gea whose contract expires on June 30.
Onana’s arrival could depend on De Gea’s exit
United have been in discussions with De Gea over a new contract, but they have not made significant progress.
The Spaniard is currently reluctant to accept a pay-cut on his £375,000-a-week wages, considering he is the subject of interest from Saudi Arabian clubs.
The 32-year-old could earn a pay rise on his current salary in the Middle East, and this could be a key reason behind his ongoing stand-off with United.
If there is no breakthrough in contract talks, United could end their 12-year association with De Gea and concentrate on pursuing a modern goalkeeper.
Onana would be the perfect fit for manager Erik ten Hag, considering he played under him at Ajax.
The duo shared a good relationship during their four years together, and it has been reported that the 27-year-old would prefer a move to Old Trafford.
United could strike a deal for the former Barcelona graduate, provided they can negotiate a lengthy payment plan with the Nerazzurri this summer.
With the limited budget without player sales, United can’t afford to pay a huge fee up front to secure the services of the highly-rated keeper from Cameroon.
Onana was fantastic in his debut season at Inter. Aside from his shut-outs, he completed 78 per cent of his passes with an impressive seven long balls.
He also caught the eye with his advanced and pro-active goalkeeping positions. He would be a big upgrade on De Gea if United manage to sign him.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
