Manchester United Eyes Donnarumma Amid Inter’s Pursuit of Onana and City’s Rivalling Interest

Key Takeaways:

• Inter Milan are reportedly considering a move to re-sign Andre Onana from Manchester United this summer
• Gianluigi Donnarumma, Champions League winner with Paris Saint-Germain, could be available for £26 million
• Manchester City are among United’s competitors for Donnarumma’s signature, while Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez and Belgian youngster Senne Lammens are also in the transfer discussions

Inter Milan’s Interest in Onana Sparks United Opportunity

Manchester United have received renewed hope in their pursuit of Gianluigi Donnarumma as Inter Milan are reportedly preparing a bid for Andre Onana. The Italian side, who sold Onana to the Red Devils two years ago following their 2023 Champions League final appearance, are said to be increasingly eager to bring the Cameroonian keeper back to the San Siro.

Onana’s stint at Old Trafford has been marked by inconsistency, with high-profile errors casting shadows over his debut season. These missteps have prompted speculation about United seeking more reliability in the goalkeeping department. Despite being fit for the new campaign, Onana was omitted from pre-season action due to injury and did not feature in United’s match against Arsenal on Sunday, with Ruben Amorim preferring Altay Bayindir and including Tom Heaton on the substitutes’ bench. Amorim clarified after the match: “No (he is not injured), he’s recovered but the other guys did so well during pre-season, so I need to balance that.”

Goalkeeper Targets and Donnarumma’s Situation

United have been assessing a number of potential replacements for Onana, with Gianluigi Donnarumma emerging as the most prominent candidate amid ongoing speculation. The search also includes possible moves for Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez and the Belgian prospect Senne Lammens — the latter continuing to attract attention from both United and Inter.

The Sun reports that Inter’s renewed interest in Onana could clear the path for United to approach Paris Saint-Germain’s Donnarumma. The Italian international, fresh from securing the Champions League with PSG last season, is reportedly up for transfer at a valuation of £26 million after the French side captured Lucas Chevalier this summer. United, however, will face competition from local rivals Manchester City, who are also tracking Donnarumma’s availability.

Prominent Support for Donnarumma Signing

A potential transfer for Donnarumma has gained influential backing. Former United striker Wayne Rooney commented on his podcast: “Donnarumma, I think he’s 26, he’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world, it would be crazy if Man United don’t go for him. I don’t think he’s a risk. I saw a stat the other day – the errors leading direct to goals. His was zero”.

Former club captain Gary Neville echoed these sentiments on The Gary Neville Podcast, highlighting: “It’s a glaring issue at United that cannot be ignored and that is that they do need to find a goalkeeper. They have to, I’m absolutely unequivocal on that.”

Neville added: “In my 20 years at Man United we had two periods of seven or eight years with [Peter] Schmeichel and [Edwin] Van der Sar and in between we had seven or eight goalkeepers in a six, seven, eight-year period and it’s really unsettling when you don’t have a dominant No.1 who is 6ft 2in, dominant in the air and owns his six-yard box and comes and punches everything and makes a lot of saves one-on-one and saves you points when your defenders make mistakes.”

Goalkeeper Market Overview