Valentijn Driessen is of the opinion that Ajax should set up goalkeeper André Onana as soon as possible. According to the journalist, the club management of the team from Amsterdam would rather see a different closing post than Onana under the bar due to the difficult contract negotiations, but Driessen believes that Marc Overmars should ‘think of the team’s interest’ and should prepare the Cameroon international from November 3. “Onana is simply the best and the situation calls for it”, Driessen suggests in a video item from The Telegraph.
Ajax announced on Wednesday that Maarten Stekelenburg will no longer be in action for the rest of the season. According to Driessen, this causes great concerns for Ajax, which means that the return of Onana is the only solution to the ‘keeper’s problem’ in the eyes of the journalist. “At Ajax in the club management they prefer to see Erik ten Hag no longer draft André Onana, but I think you can no longer avoid it,” says the football chief of the newspaper. “It is suggested that he has already signed a contract with Inter for next season, as they can pick him up for free. He initially refused to sign up, although he has now opened the door. Ajax does not believe much of that, because they also think that Onana has already signed a contract. Ajax does not want to participate in that game.”
“Yet we have now seen that it is very thin with Pasveer in the Champions League. Behind him is Jay Gorter, who is 21. He has had an excellent season in the Kitchen Champion Division at Go Ahead Eagles, but he hasn’t played a single game in the Eredivisie yet. So what’s going to happen if something goes wrong with Pasveer? Then you suddenly have to go to Besiktas and Borussia Dortmund with Gorter. That’s why I think it’s best for Ajax to go straight ahead and tell Onana to start training with the first team. You now have to get him into the group as soon as possible”, says Driessen.
“I would certainly prefer him one hundred percent over Pasveer, because he is just not a certainty under the bar right now,” Driessen continues. “Pasveer doesn’t take points for you, but he does lose them for you. We saw that against FC Utrecht last Sunday. As far as I’m concerned, it was just a sustainable ball”, Driessen refers to the shot by Django Warmerdam that came in. “Pasveer is no longer the youngest and he does not easily go to the corner. He can play soccer quite well, but now and then you also have to be able to grab a ball with your hands. He sometimes makes mistakes in that area.”
“You just have to set up your best keeper, because after all it is in the interest of Ajax. If some egos, perhaps the ego of Marc Overmars, have been hurt, then that should be put aside for a while. Then you have to play with Onana as soon as possible after November 3, because he was one of the best goalkeepers in Europe until his doping troubles. Overmars will have to: he must act in the interest of Ajax. Onana has committed no crime. Okay, he won’t sign up and he’s asking too much money, but that’s just about the negotiations. But it shouldn’t be the case that you don’t want to put him under the bar for that reason. Certainly not if he is the best and the situation demands it. He will have to condone it anyway,” Driessen concludes.
Onana is not allowed to play any games until November 3 due to his suspension. However, the closing post may already train with Jong Ajax or train individually. It was Ten Hag’s decision not to let Onana train with the first team yet, as the ‘group process’ could possibly be ‘disrupted’.