International sports

Expect more ‘mistakes’ – Rio Ferdinand warns Man United on signing Andre Onana

WHAT HAPPENED? The Red Devils are reported to be closing in on a big-money deal for the Cameroonian goalkeeper, with a transfer expected to be agreed with Serie A giants Inter at around the €55 million (£47m/$60m) mark. United are in need of a new No.1 after allowing the long-serving De Gea to walk away as a free agent, with Erik Ten Hag set to bring in a player that he has previously worked with at Ajax.

WHAT THEY SAID: Ferdinand believes Onana is the right choice to succeed De Gea, but has told his FIVE YouTube channel that United fans should expect more errors between the sticks: “If Onana is coming in, I think he’s a fantastic signing. A huge talent and a real modern-day goalkeeper. You see teams pressing him and he does not even panic. He gets the ball into him, brings on the press, says ‘come on, come to me’, and then when that player comes to him he knows there’s a player free somewhere else and he normally finds them.

“I think there will be mistakes and playing that risky way, you do have mistakes and that happens. But it’s about staying true to your beliefs, finding a right balance and remaining confident throughout those periods. It’s interesting to see how this pans out, but I believe this is a deal that will be made at some point through this transfer window.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ferdinand added on United turning to Onana after allowing De Gea – who boasts more clean sheets than any other Red Devils keeper in history – to move on at the end of his contract: “I remember, and I watched a lot of Ajax when Erik ten Hag was there, and a lot of what he wants to do is about playing out from the back. You can see when he first came [to United] they got caught numerous times. Brentford is a game which sticks out in my mind away where they were trying to implement his playing style, which is definitely playing out from the back from the goalkeeper.

“They got pressed and they got battered and bruised doing that. Then they switched after that and started playing a bit longer and balancing out playing out from the back and then going long. I think ideally he will want to be a team that play out from the back immediately and control possession and control through the different transitions and phases of the game. To do that, you need a goalkeeper who is completely competent, really good, calm and authoritative and confident in doing that. Onana absolutely fits the bill.

“I remember that I spoke to Pep [Guardiola] before the Champions League final and he highlighted Onana, the goalkeeper, as somebody that they’re going to have to prepare for. How many goalkeepers do you normally have to prepare for in terms of building up and building out from the back? There ain’t many in world football. Onana is one of them, so he’ll definitely give Manchester United a presence. He’ll give Man United more confidence and more ability to play out from the back and I think he suits an Erik ten Hag team completely, so I can see that deal being done.”

WHAT NEXT? United have already tied up a £60m ($77m) deal for England international playmaker Mason Mount in the summer window and will hope that there is more business to come after an agreement for Onana is thrashed out, with a long-running takeover saga at Old Trafford still dragging on behind the scenes.

 

Source: goal.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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