André Onana will almost certainly belong to the goalkeepers’ guild of Internazionale from next season, Fabrizio Romano reports on Tuesday morning. According to the transfer market expert from Italy, the Ajax goalkeeper and the Serie A club have had an oral agreement on a contractual cooperation since July. “Rumors that I already have an agreement with another club are not correct,” Onana assured at the end of last month.
However, Romano insists Onana is on his way to Milan, even though the contract has not yet been formally drawn up. However, this would be in the final phase. The verbal agreement between Inter and Onana is also said to be the reason that talks with OGC Nice and Olympique Lyon failed over the summer, although the Ligue 1 clubs also refused to meet the alleged asking price of ten million euros.
Onana said in an interview with The Telegraph wanted to think along with Ajax about a longer cooperation after June 30, 2022, but also indicated that the club had stopped the talks. “Of course I’m still open to a new contract,” said the goalkeeper. He indicated that he had a ‘great relationship’ with Marc Overmars, Edwin van der Sar and Erik ten Hag. “But it’s not in my hands. A new contract with a limited transfer fee? Everything is negotiable.”
“Ajax must do what is good for Ajax.” However, Overmars does not have the impression that Onana would like to sign up and hinted prior to the Champions League match with Besiktas (2-0) that it will probably not work out between the two parties. “We are not in the process of extending his contract,” Overmars makes clear in conversation with Ziggo Sports. “Until now we are not having conversations, no. We tried that and it didn’t work. Then you move on. I explained that a few times.”
“You get a talented keeper (Jay Gorter, ed.) and an older keeper (Remko Pasveer). We hope Jay Gorter makes great strides and he does. The agreement was that we would make a transfer together in July, last summer. That didn’t work and that was not our fault. You make choices and it has to come from both sides. I don’t think we have the feeling that André really wanted to.”
“He said we pulled the plug. That’s right and we do that for a reason,” concluded the director. Onana has been training at Ajax again since September 4. He has been registered by Ajax for the group stage of the Champions League. The closing post, which has been suspended until November 4 for taking the banned substance furosemide, could make playing minutes against Besiktas (November 24) and Sporting Portugal (December 7). In his absence Maarten Stekelenburg was the first keeper, but because of groin complaints, Remko Pasveer is currently that.