Man Utd transfer talks reach ‘tense’ moment as Ten Hag sweats over top target

Football Digest: Reaction to David de Gea leaving Man Utd

Manchester United are set to hold another round of talks with Inter Milan on Thursday in an attempt to thrash out an deal for Andre Onana as Erik ten Hag is left to wait over his top target. The Red Devils are keen to strike an agreement with their Italian counterparts by the end of this week as they look to bring in a new goalkeeper, but negotiations have reportedly reached a tense stage.

The Dutchman is keen to reunite with Onana at Old Trafford, having worked with the Cameroonian at his previous club Ajax. But the stumbling block between the two clubs has largely centred around Inter’s reluctance to compromise on their asking price.

The Serie A giants are demanding £50million for the 27-year-old, while United are only prepared to offer £43m and despite talks taking place for several weeks, no agreement has been reached as of yet.

But according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, talks are set to resume on Thursday with United facing a crucial 24 hours to make progress in the deal. The report adds that despite there being a ‘tense moment’ during negotiations, there is ‘optimism’ that a deal can be reached.

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Ten Hag is searching for a new first-choice stopper after the club released David de Gea last week, while Dean Henderson could be sold to Nottingham Forest after spending last season on loan at the City Ground.

The Red Devils are planning to announce the signing of their new No 1 by close of play on Sunday after making arrangements for his arrival. And club chiefs want to wrap up a deal for Onana in time for the goalkeeper to jet out to Oslo for the start of their pre-season tour. 

United beat Leeds 2-0 on Wednesday in their first pre-season fixture, with Tom Heaton starting in goal and Matej Kovar coming off the bench. Ten Hag will be hoping Onana will be on the plane to Norway in time for their fixture, and much could depend on how talks progress on Thursday.

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Ten Hag has already made one signing this summer, with £60m new boy Mason Mount featuring in the red shirt for the first time against Leeds. Onana is their next priority following De Gea’s departure, while the club have had two bids rejected for Atalanta starlet Rasmus Hojlund. 

Onana is seen as an important part of the 53-year-old’s plans next season due to his impressive ability to play out from the back. The Inter stopper also helped his side reach the Champions League final and kept eight clean sheets in 13 games before their 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

He had been linked with a move to Chelsea but Onana is keen to reunite with his former boss in Manchester. But with the deal reaching the crucial hours, it remains to be seen whether United will find a compromise after weeks of drawn-out talks with the Italian club.

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