Andre Onana is Erik ten Hag's main target for the goalkeeper position. Credit: Getty Images/Marco Luzzani
David de Gea has announced he will leave Manchester United this summer after 12 years at Old Trafford, and the club are poised to step up their efforts to replace Andre Onan from Inter Milan.
De Gea, 32, has ended his contract but has continued talks with United for an extension until last week. The Daily Telegraph reported last season that United were unwilling to exercise their one-year option on his £375,000-a-week contract and then never signed new terms on which he agreed to stay next season.
The Spaniard will now be looking for a new challenge, with interest coming from Saudi Arabia's professional league, where Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have moved.
De Gea's contract expired, but he could continue his studies at Carrington. Photo: GETTY IMAGES/Clive Rose
United have targeted Onana as Erik ten Hag's new number one after the Dutch manager worked with him at Ajax.
Onana was Ten Hag's goalkeeper when the Dutch side reached the Champions League semi-finals before the Cameroonian moved to Inter after reaching the Champions League final last season. The Italian club are looking for £51.5m for their goalkeeper, with a deal still in the very early stages despite willingness to do business from all sides.
United have yet to make an official offer but have spoken verbally about a deal with Inter and personal terms are also yet to be discussed with the player. Ten Hag's pre-season starts on July 12 against Leeds and his side will fly to America on tour later this month.
More than a decade later, they will be without De Gea, who wrote an emotional farewell to his club, where he won the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup after joining from Atlético Madrid in 2011.
«I just wanted to send this farewell message to all Manchester United fans,» he wrote. “I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love of the past 12 years.
“We have achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club. I felt incredibly proud every time I wore this jersey to lead a team to represent this institution, the biggest club in the world, it was an honor only awarded to a lucky few.
“It was an unforgettable and successful period since I came here. I didn't think that by leaving Madrid as a little boy we would achieve what we did together.
«Now is the time to take on a new challenge, try again in a new environment. Manchester will always be in my heart, Manchester has shaped me and will never leave. We have all seen it.»
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