Andre Onana: Career to date

The former Cameroon international penned a five-year-deal with club and linked up with Erik ten Hag's squad in the US as part of our Tour 2023 pre-season preparations.

At 27, Onana has achieved plenty at club level and most recently played in the UEFA Champions League final for Inter Milan, against our crosstown rivals Manchester City.

With lots to delve into, here's how the shot-stopper's career has panned out thus far prior to embarking on his next chapter here in M16... 

FOOTBALL BEGINNINGS

Andre began his career at the Samuel Eto'o Academy, with his skillset as a young teenager eventually resulting in a move to Barcelona aged just 14 back in 2010.

It is there that the goalkeeper began to develop as a player, with his tall frame, shot-stopping abilities and comfortability with the ball at his feet just some of his stand-out qualities.

He enjoyed two loan spells with both Cornella’s youth team and Vista Alegre’s first team in consecutive years, before a move to Ajax materialized back in January 2015.

AMSTERDAM AWAITS

It took only a month for the Cameroonian to make his debut for Ajax's academy side (Jong Ajax), with his maiden start coming back in February of 2015 against Achilles '29. 

Andre went on to make 24 appearances in the Jupiler League that season (2014/15) and kept three clean sheets. He was also on the bench for the first team on a handful of occasions. He played his first match for Cameroon in a friendly against Gabon on 6 September 2016, which his nation won 2-1.

It wasn't however until the 2016/17 campaign that Onana began to establish himself as a first-team regular for the Amsterdam-based side, as he made his debut following Jasper Cillisen's departure for Barcelona.

Ajax would finish second that season as he began to cement his place as the club's no.1 and were beaten in the final of the Europa League by non-other than United. He played 46 matches for the first team, keeping an impressive 21 clean sheets along the way.

RELATIONSHIP WITH ERIK

The following season, current Reds boss Ten Hag was appointed manager of the side and it is there that the two began to develop something of a ever-present relationship in the game.

De Godenzonen won the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup whilst also reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, only to be beaten in dramatic fashion late on by Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Onana played 55 times and kept 26 clean sheets.

A Covid-hit campaign followed in 2019/20, with the season scrapped from April. Prior to this, Onana had been in great form again, playing 39 times and keeping 15 clean sheets.

His 2020/21 season was to be a difficult one, with the goalkeeper handed a nine month ban for doping, after he was found to have substances in his system. Despite both his and Ajax's appeal, he missed the back end of a season that saw Ajax complete another domestic double.

With his ban carrying over in 2021/22, Andre struggled to get back into the Ajax team through form, injuries and the African Cup of Nations. He played only 10 times for Ajax that season, and departed for Inter Milan upon the expiry of his contract.

Following the completion of his suspension, Onana played every match in the AFCON in 2022, as Cameroon were eliminated in the semi-finals by Egypt before winning the third-place play-off.

INTER MILAN AND THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

On 1 July 2022, he signed a five-year-deal with Italian side Inter Milan and played just one season in Italy before his now move to Manchester.

He featured 41 times for Simone Inzaghi's side across the season and won both the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana, with Inter finishing third in Serie A behind Napoli and Lazio.

Onana also played the first match of the 2022 World Cup – his only game in the competition to date – before being sent home by manager Rigobert Song after arguments about his tactics. He announced his retirement from international football on 23 December 2022.

Inter reached the final of the 2023 UEFA Champions League, only to be beaten 1-0 by Manchester City in Istanbul. Many praised his performance across the 90 minutes, especially his confident nature with the ball at his feet.

OLD TRAFFORD AWAITS

At just 27, Onana still has a whole lot of football to play and we hope to see the best of that whilst with the Reds.

With an already special relationship with Ten Hag, we also can't wait to see the pair of them reunited at the Theatre of Dreams, with plenty of success hopefully on the menu.
 
Having already claimed silverware across Europe, it's safe to say Andre brings a wealth of experience and a drive for victory.