Onana reveals Arsenal and Chelsea approaches after making Man Utd exit decision

Andre Onana first made a name for himself at Ajax and that led to interest from Arsenal and Chelsea - only to turn down both - before he ended up at Manchester United

Andre Onana admits he had the chance to join Arsenal and Chelsea before later ending up at Manchester United. The Cameroon star burst onto the scene whilst at Ajax - which resulted in Premier League interest in his services.

He was eventually among a host of players who left the Dutch outfit but, had things turned out differently, he could've been playing in the Premier League for one of United's rivals. Onana was part of the team, led by Erik ten Hag, that made the last four of the Champions League in 2019.

The likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt moved on after those exploits and Onana had a number of Europe's biggest clubs pursuing him.

He was asked to name the clubs he has come close to joining during his time at Ajax and told Le Media Carre: "I had Monaco, I had Nice, I had Atletico de Madrid, I had Chelsea, Arsenal."

Pressed on who he came closest to joining from Ajax, Onana replied: "Lyon. I spoke with the president, the technical director so it was advanced anyway. It was difficult for me to speak with the president because I decided to learn Italian."

Onana later ended up at Inter Milan, whom he joined after he completed a doping ban. With the Italians he reached the Champions League final with his stock again on the rise and Ten Hag came knocking once more, spending just shy of £50million to bring him to Manchester.

He was quickly named the No 1 at Old Trafford after replacing David de Gea but has not convinced during his time. His ability to play out was a key reason behind the club pursuing him but he's made a number of blunders that have led directly to goals.

Onana though will snub a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia to remain as United's No 1 - provided they want him. Onana has been linked with a summer move to the Saudi Pro League after another turbulent season at United. The goalkeeper wants to remain at United beyond this summer and will only go if the club tell him they want to offload him.

The 28-year-old admits that the attention on the club means that you're always under the spotlight - and you know if things aren't going well.

He said: "The exposure. When it goes well you are on a cloud, when it goes badly you are lower than that. That is why it’s important to find the right balance, it’s not to forget what made you get there, there is a lot of pressure at this club."