By Ayomikun Fulani
Italian side, Inter Milan have confirmed the signing of Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana from Ajax.
Onana’s contract at Ajax expired on Thursday, and Inter wasted no time in announcing his arrival in Italy on a free transfer.
The 26-year-old goalie had turned down a contract extension with the Dutch side to seal a move to Inter Milan on a free transfer.
Inter revealed the unveiling of Onana on the club’s official website with a statement, saying:“Andre [Onana] is now adding another stop on his journey. “From the village of Nkol Ngok in Yaounde to Barcelona and Amsterdam, Onana is now in Milan.
“His connection with Samuel Eto’o is even stronger, as Andre is the fourth Cameroonian to play for Inter, following in the footsteps of compatriots Eto’o, Pierre Wome, and Daniel Maa Boumsong.
“In terms of making history, the player is set to become the first-ever African goalkeeper to get the nod for the Nerazzurri.
“Welcome to Inter, Andre!”
Speaking for the first time after making the move, Onana said:“I’m very happy to be part of this great Club and this family, which is a great institution.
“What more can you say about a Club that has done it all? Being here is amazing, and we hope to achieve important objectives in the future.
“I have a fantastic relationship with Eto’o, and we even played together at San Siro. We’ve talked about Inter on several occasions, both when I was on international duty and at other times, too.
“He always spoke very highly of this Club and told me that Inter would be perfect for me given the way I play. That’s why when I heard about the offer from Inter – a great Club that was interested in me – I never had any doubts. Being here is fantastic, I’m really happy.”
In his message to the new fans, Onana said: “Obviously, I want to thank you all for all of your support and all the messages I’ve received. I know that there was disappointment at missing out on the league title, but the next few seasons will be better.
“We’ll fight to win everything, both in Italy and abroad, because this team and this Club deserve the best and, with the players we have, we need to think big, as has always been the case. So have confidence in us.”
The signing of Onana comes after the club re-signed Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea on Wednesday. They have also brought in former Manchester United and Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Roma on a free transfer.
During his time in Amsterdam, he won the league title three times and the Dutch Cup twice.
He served a ban last year after testing positive for the banned substance, Furosemide. The 26-year-old blamed the positive sample on taking his wife’s medicine by mistake.
He was initially given a 12-month suspension, but this was reduced to nine months upon appeal, and he returned to the sport in November 2021.
Onana has won 30 caps for Cameroon, and will represent his country at this year’s World Cup. They will face Brazil, Serbia, and Switzerland in Group G.
Source: Lindaikejisblog.com
