The Extraordinary Rise of Andre Onana: How Man Utd's Acquisition of Ajax's Goalkeeping Gem Transformed the Premier League
Discover why Man Utd signed Andre Onana, the talented Inter Milan goalkeeper unearthed by Edwin van der Sar at Ajax Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan reveals why van der Sar was convinced about Onana as a teenager, despite initial doubts at Ajax Explore his stats and stay updated on the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Man City manager Pep Guardiola was left stunned by Andre Onana's performance in the Champions League final. Onana, who recently joined Man Utd for £47.2m from Inter, played like a holding midfielder, causing us to face difficulties.
It's a significant accolade coming from a manager who has spearheaded the concept of a ball-playing goalkeeper. Guardiola's groundbreaking utilization of Victor Valdes at Barcelona back in 2009 was perceived as a revolution in itself. This exceptional influence is now evident throughout the Premier League.
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Pep Guardiola consoles Onana after Man City's Champions League final win over Inter
David De Gea, who was found out at times last season for his lack of quality with his feet, has announced he will not return to Old Trafford after 12 seasons, creating a vacancy for Onana.
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Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag has once again chosen to bring back a player he has previously worked with. Onana, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, was part of their successful journey, winning three league titles and reaching the semifinals of the Champions League in 2019. But what motivated Ten Hag to eagerly reunite with his former goalkeeper?
Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan praised the goalkeeper, stating that he is likely to be Manchester United's most sensational goalkeeper for an extended period. Van der Kraan mentioned that the player's exceptional skills with the ball were what made him highly regarded at Ajax, despite some of his entertaining and amusing actions.
Onana joined Ajax at the age of 18, having departed Barcelona, and there were apprehensions regarding his approach. However, renowned Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar recognized something extraordinary in the young player. "At the beginning of his career, he exhibited excessive self-assurance," Van der Kraan commented on Onana. "Edwin van der Sar firmly believed in him. Several scouts at Ajax were hesitant to engage with him, as they believed his flashy skills and unpredictable behavior made him a liability."
"But Van der Sar said, 'Look we want to get this boy he is going to be brilliant'. Ever since joining Ajax he was a huge success."
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Edwin van der Sar was a mentor to Onana at Ajax
After being suspended from football for nine months due to accidentally taking a prohibited substance, Onana has steadily improved since departing from the Eredivisie. The Champions League final provided an ideal platform for him to showcase his exceptional abilities.
"Currently, he exhibits a greater sense of composure in his game, evident in the way he contributed to the build-up in the Champions League final," remarked Van der Kraan. "While he can excel as a sweeper, full-back, or midfielder, it is crucial to retain him as a goalkeeper since that is where he truly shines."
Onana often receives the label of being crazy, but there is always a method to his madness. It's exceedingly rare to discover a goalkeeper like him, as Onana possesses unparalleled confidence. If Manchester United manages to secure his services, fans will undoubtedly adore him. Prior to the Champions League final, Guardiola was already aware of Onana's abilities and the potential threat they posed to Manchester City.
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Onana, Inter's goalkeeper, was hailed as a major asset leading into the Champions League final. "Deploying a high press against him is incredibly challenging," stated Guardiola. "Properly pressing Onana is near impossible. Inter excel in ball possession."
If you watched Man Utd last season, you would have noticed that De Gea lacked the ability to handle pressure, making it easier for opposing teams to press. The humiliating 4-0 defeat against Brentford at the Gtech in August serves as a prime example.
Ten Hag remains committed to playing out from the back, and his first season showed some improvement, thanks in part to the addition of Lisandro Martinez at centre-back. However, De Gea's struggles with ball possession impeded the team's progress.
As shown in the FA Cup final loss to Man City in June, United's predictability under pressure was evident. On that day, both De Gea's distribution and shot-stopping were questionable, while City's substitute goalkeeper Stefan Ortega showcased to Ten Hag what he is lacking.
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David De Gea was criticised for his performance in the FA Cup final
Guardiola, speaking before the Istanbul final, compared United to Inter and stated that United plays a long ball style of football. He pointed out players like Marcus Rashford who are good at making runs in behind the defense. In contrast, Inter prefers to keep possession of the ball. Guardiola emphasized the importance of considering this difference when planning their strategy against Inter. He highlighted that Inter is very good at controlling the ball, which has contributed to their success in reaching the Champions League final.
What do the stats say?
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As highlighted by Guardiola, Onana showcased his prowess as a holding midfielder on several occasions during the Champions League final against City. His remarkable ball-handling skills have become a decisive quality that captures the attention of potential suitors.
The passing networks depicted in
illustrate Onana's usual approach of playing from the back with a trio of central defenders positioned in front of him. He frequently opts for longer passes towards the defensive midfielder when attempting to bypass the opposing team's press. Furthermore, he often seeks out the full-backs along the flanks as an alternative option.
The Premier League and Champions League graphics below depict the outcome and distance of every goal-kick executed by De Gea and Onana during the previous season. They reveal Onana's proficiency in consistently delivering passes into the defensive-midfield area, in addition to his superior success rate in launching long balls to the forwards.
Indeed, the passing sonars below reveal how Onana is more effective at finding team-mates in almost every direction.
The table below showcases Onana's exceptional passing prowess, surpassing the Spaniard in nearly every passing metric. The only exception is De Gea, who typically launches goal-kicks much farther upfield.
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Onana emerged as one of the top performers in the previous Champions League season, leading his team until their unfortunate loss against Manchester City in the final. One particular highlight was his exceptional double save in the victorious 1-0 match against Porto, who also had their own promising goalkeeper, Diogo Costa.
The Cameroon international played a crucial role in the 2-0 victory against rivals AC Milan in the first leg. This set him up against the highly sought-after France international goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The scatter graph depicted below illustrates Onana's impressive performance in terms of keeping clean sheets during Inter's European campaign. Among all goalkeepers who played for at least 360 minutes, only Ederson had a higher save percentage and clean-sheet ratio. Additionally, Onana outperformed other goalkeepers in terms of preventing goals, as indicated by the xG data.
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Several top clubs have been monitoring the 27-year-old for a while now. However, his impressive displays on the prestigious European platform have significantly boosted his value. So, how does he compare to De Gea, the renowned goalkeeper whose position he would potentially take over?
De Gea bowed out after 12 years at Old Trafford with the Golden Glove - keeping 17 clean sheets in the Premier League last season.
Despite De Gea's impressive performances, Onana conceded fewer goals per 90 minutes and had a higher save percentage in the Serie A last season. However, De Gea, who was slightly more active on the field, managed to keep more clean sheets and had a better goal-prevention rate based on xG statistics.
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When compared to all goalkeepers in Europe's top five leagues, both De Gea and Onana stand out as exceptional in preventing shots from close range and maintaining clean sheets. However, Onana distinguishes himself further by also ranking in the top five percent for his success rate of passes and ability to avoid costly mistakes. Moreover, he exhibits greater efficiency in blocking shots taken from a distance, setting him apart from De Gea.
The image displayed above illustrates the positioning of the goalmouth for each precise shot that De Gea encountered during the previous Premier League season. It exposes his overall proficiency, revealing that he is predictably less effective at saving shots aimed low and high in both corners of his goal.
Onana's goalmouth save locations below suggest he is superior at saving attempts low in the corners - but shipped all four shots struck high in the corners.
After 12 years of loyal service from De Gea, Manchester United is on the brink of experiencing a seismic change in their goalkeeping department. While Onana's shot-stopping abilities may slightly fall short of De Gea's, the Cameroonian international's impressive distribution skills and unwavering dependability have captured the attention of the club's decision-makers.
