Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 07:01


André Onana can direct his own farewell at Ajax. The 25-year-old goalkeeper threatened to get hardly any playing time in his last months in Amsterdam, but a wave of injuries in the goalkeepers guild has ensured that ‘the Cat of Cameroon’ is again the first choice under Erik ten Hag for the time being. “Something in me told me that it wasn’t ready yet at Ajax. And it’s also the only thing you can do: always be there for your teammates,” said Onana on Tuesday in conversation with The Telegraph

Onana considers himself a team player, but he didn’t expect to start goalkeeping again immediately. “It’s bizarre. Since I played football I have never seen three goalkeepers get injured for a long time. I sympathize with Maarten Stekelenburg, Remko Pasveer and Jay Gorter, but it offers me an unexpected opportunity.” The goalkeeper is happy to be back and to prove his worth to fellow players and fans. The reactions of some fans hurt in the beginning. “Especially because most supporters don’t know the truth. And the fact that I have not reached an agreement with Edwin van der Sar and Marc Overmars does not mean that I do not love the club and will not give all my heart.”

Onana emphasizes that in 2019, shortly after he had already signed until the summer of 2022, and also during his doping suspension, he wanted to extend his contract. “Ajax didn’t have to do that in 2019, because the time was right for me to go to another club for the right price. And during my suspension we had five or six conversations in the ArenA. We could not agree on my salary.” He confirms that during his suspension Ajax proposed to earn half of his current salary. “But it wasn’t just what I didn’t like. Signing up was an obligation.”

“It was accept or not and after there was no transfer that summer, I gave up four months of salary. At that moment Ajax had already stopped the negotiations, while we wanted to talk further. The club is always more important than an individual and Ajax has done what Edwin and Marc thought best.” Onana won’t say anything about the next step in his career because it “distracts from his mission.” “My full focus is on Ajax. We have three trophies to win with the league title, the cup and the Champions League.”

Gratitude and pride will prevail upon his departure. “I am grateful for the opportunity I got after my arrival from Barcelona and proud of what I have given back to the club,” emphasizes Onana, who will be transfer-free in more than three months and will almost certainly start at Internazionale. “Although I’m not done with that yet. If we manage to become champions or win the Champions League, I will shed a tear. Ajax will always be in my heart.”