Man Utd boss Ten Hag makes private phone call as target fears deal will collapse

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has reportedly called Andre Onana in the past few days to reassure him that his move to Old Trafford will materialise in the near future. The Dutchman is patiently awaiting a breakthrough in transfer negotiations between the two clubs although he is fully aware that a total agreement is very close.

Ten Hag worked with Onana during his time at Ajax and now he is keen to bring him in as his new No.1 goalkeeper following the departure of David de Gea.

While Onana remains happy at Inter, he is ready to jump ship and embark on a new chapter in the Premier League where he has also been courted by Chelsea this summer.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Ten Hag has reached out privately to call Onana in the past few days to confirm that the deal is now on the verge of completion.

After weeks of speculation, Onana could be forgiven if he was feeling frustrated about the delays regarding his future which is why Ten Hag has intervened as he looks forward to their reunion in Manchester.

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The fact Ten Hag has been prepared to wave goodbye to De Gea – a player he made abundantly clear he would like to keep towards the end of the season – outlines his faith in the Cameroonian.

Onana excelled during Inter’s memorable ride to the Champions League final in Istanbul and his cutting edge passing which pierced holes in Manchester City’s press was a standout takeaway from the underwhelming showpiece in Turkey.

De Gea has often been scrutinised for his shaky footwork in recent seasons and even his shot-stopping ability, previously one of his strongest assets, has been repeatedly questioned in the past five years following a number of high-profile errors.

United hope Onana will be able to join up with his new team-mates before Wednesday’s flight to New York where the club’s pre-season preparations will continue following their next friendly with Lyon in Edinburgh.

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That will only happen if United can finalise the small details holding up the transfer and if Onana is able to complete his medical within that time frame.

The club appear to be relaxed as an agreement over personal terms with the 27-year-old are also now close.

It is not totally out of the question that United bring in another goalkeeper this summer with Dean Henderson still an active target for Nottingham Forest.

Tom Heaton has also been tracked by Premier League new boys Luton Town but the move has been held up as United do not want to weaken their goalkeeping department without having a suitable replacement to hand.

Urawa Red Diamonds No.1 Zion Suzuki could be the second goalkeeper to arrive through the door once a deal for Onana is completed.

Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow has also attracted interest from United but the Dutchman remains calm over his future as he remains an important part of Arne Slot’s Eredivisie-winning side.

“We’ll see,” he told ESPN, when recently quizzed on his future. “But out of respect for Feyenoord, I don’t want to talk about other clubs. At Feyenoord, the feeling is always good.

“It’s never a punishment to be here, I’ve always said that. I want to go for the highest achievable and one day I will definitely take a step. But, at the moment I play at Feyenoord.”

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