What had been seen by some as inevitable was finally confirmed on Saturday afternoon as David de Gea announced his departure from Manchester United.
The general consensus among the fans and pundits is the right decision has been made but in the wrong way. United's ongoing negotiations have rumbled on past his contract's expiry and hung over the player's wedding. leaving a bad taste in the mouth of many.
But, as is the way with football, the Reds need to move on quickly and they look set to. MEN Sport understands United are confident of securing a deal for Inter Milan's Andre Onana to become the new No.1.
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ALSO READ: One thing United are now missing after De Gea exit
Onana impressed during Inter's run to the Champions League final and is known for his brilliant distribution. However, should he sign, he will face a new level of pressure. Being a United player brings it with plenty of attention and it's something former Red Gary Neville believes is worth bearing in mind for any new number one.
Speaking in March on The Overlap, the former captain said: "I’ve said it’s the single most difficult position in English football being the Manchester United goalkeeper. I genuinely believe that. I think Liverpool’s number one is the second.
"And that’s not to be disrespectful to all other clubs, I think the Manchester United goalkeeper comes under more scrutiny if they make a mistake than any other position in English football on the pitch. It’s tough and I’ve seen lads in that goal [struggle]. That’s the problem they’ve got. It’s whether [a new goalkeeper] can handle that stadium.
"I think it’s that element of that lull that they experience where the team are attacking at home for, say, 10 minutes and the keeper hasn’t touched the ball and they’re just there. It’s that concentration goalkeepers need to have when they’re not involved in the game.
"I always think a Manchester United goalkeeper – or any goalkeeper – needs to have unbelievable concentration because you might go five minutes without touching the ball. We’re [outfield players] always involved, or just in our positions, but a goalkeeper can just be redundant for a period in a game. I think that’s a really tough thing to have to deal with."
Arguably, Onana is in as good a position as any new goalkeeper to be able to deal with the atmosphere at Old Trafford given the San Siro is known for a hardcore fanbase who will not shy away from telling you how you feel. No matter how this last season went, the eventual De Gea replacement will have big shoes to fill and the Onana must be fully aware of the challenge which faces him in 2023/24.
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