- Cameroonian keeper joined from Inter
- Settling into new surroundings
- Defender had armband taken off him
WHAT HAPPENED? The Cameroon international goalkeeper, who has completed a £48 million ($62m) transfer to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window, has wasted no time in making his voice heard as part of a new defensive unit. Onana was spotted screaming at Maguire at one stage during a 3-2 defeat to Dortmund, with the Red Devils’ back line opening up far too easily. The 27-year-old makes no apologies for getting on the case of those in front of him – even if they have been at the club considerably longer than he has.
WHAT THEY SAID: Onana has told MUTV: “I demand a lot of my team-mates because also they demand a lot, they trust in me. They play a lot of balls back to me, so I have to give them confidence and I want my players to give them to me to give me confidence. I demand [from] them a lot and I will demand from them a lot because they are great players. Now, for me, it's a big honour to play with these defenders. With [Lisandro] Martinez, Harry they are doing great things. They are important players for the club. I'm very happy to be part of this team and playing with them is something great.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Onana added on his fiery interaction with Maguire, who has been stripped of the captain’s armband for 2023-24 as Bruno Fernandes inherits those responsibilities: “I try to talk to them a lot because I know he's a good player, he is one of the captains of the team. That’s big and he is good with the ball, so I would demand [from] him a lot and he’s a good, great guy. I have a good relationship with him. I have to be and he has to be ready and I spoke with him because when I'm in the goal, I demand to everyone a lot. I will start with myself because I think we are in this together and mistakes will come. We don't have to be afraid to make mistakes because this is part of life and we learn from the mistakes. So we have to be very critical with ourselves. And if we want to win prizes, we have to demand a lot. And for me, it's a big honour to be here and I'm very happy to work with these guys, Harry is a top guy and a fantastic player. We will move on.”
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Onana has taken in two appearances for United during their pre-season tour of the United States – suffering defeats against Real Madrid and Dortmund – with the challenge being to integrate fully into the Red Devils side by the time they take in a 2023-24 Premier League season opener against Wolves on August 14.
