Onana: 3 reasons why Chelsea want the Inter Milan goalkeeper who stood out against Man City

Andre Onana, Chelsea's new target

Onana: 3 reasons why Chelsea want the Inter Milan goalkeeper who stood out against Man City

Stephen Oladehinde 20:16 - 12.06.2023

Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana has been a stand-out personality for his team this season and he is currently on the radar of Chelsea who are looking to sign him according to reports.

The Cameroonian helped Inter Milan to the final of the Champions League which they lost to Manchester City on Saturday.

Onana has been an integral player in Simone Inzaghi’s side helping them win the Coppa Italia and finishing third in the Serie A last season.

The shot-stopper joined Inter Milan from Ajax on a free transfer and has since then replaced Handanovic as the number-one goalkeeper.

Chelsea are currently looking to sign Onana after an impressive season with Inter as new manager Mauricio Pochettino is currently looking for a good goalkeeper according to the Sun.

The Chelsea target has many qualities that interest Pochettino and we take a look at why the Blues want him at Stamford Bridge.

Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana
Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana

Three qualities Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana possesses

1. Ball playing abilities

Andre Onana is mostly known for his ball-playing abilities right from his days at Ajax and his present club Inter Milan. 

He is a goalkeeper that does not shy away from playing the ball from the back and his ability with the ball at his feet can help teams build from the back.

Chelsea has struggled to build from the back since the days of Conte, with Kepa Arizabalaga and Mendy not so good with their feet.

It was reported by the Mirror that Pep Guardiola hailed Onana. He said, "For the way they play, with the high press, Onana is an exceptional goalkeeper to take the position to build up. Really, really good." 

The Cameronian ability to pass the ball from the back even when pressured can help Pochettino implement his style of play next season.

2. Better shot stopper

The 27-year-old is also one of the best-shot stoppers in Europe this season and also impressed in the final of the Champions League, making two crucial saves for Inter Milan.

The Cameroonian has the highest number of clean sheets in the Champions League this season with a total of eight clean sheets.

According to UEFA statistics, Onana also made the highest number of saves (48) in the Champions League this season.

Andre Onana makes a crucial save in the Champions League final
Andre Onana makes a crucial save in the Champions League final

According to Sofascore, Onana has an 81% save rate in the Champions League this season and a 72% save in Serie A.

One of the abilities Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino saw in Onana is also his shot-stopping ability which will be key for the Blues.

3. He is not error prone

The Cameroonian is one of the few goalkeepers that makes errors leading to a goal last season for Inter Milan.

The shot-stopper did not make errors this season with his team both in Serie A and in the Champions League.

Onana is a goalkeeper that has different qualities which can help Chelsea next season as they currently look for a good shot-stopper.

His confidence on the ball, shot-stopping ability and not prone to error are the abilities a keeper of this era should have and Onana has those qualities.