Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana reportedly favours a transfer to Premier League giants Chelsea over the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and PSG.
As per a report from Dutch outlet Voetbal Nieuws, Ajax custodian Andre Onana has his eyes set on a transfer to Premier League heavyweights Chelsea in the summer window. The goalkeeper is prepared to snub a chance to join the Blues’ London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in favour of a transfer to Stamford Bridge.
The rumour mill has been in overdrive ever since Chelsea manager Frank Lampard dropped first-choice goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from the starting lineup for their Premier League clash against Leicester City. The Spaniard has been drawing a lot of flak after a few disappointing displays and after he was axed by the manager, his future at the club has been cast in doubt.
Reports earlier this month claimed that Lampard is open to offloading Kepa at the end of the season, with his former club Athletic Bilbao keeping tabs on the Spaniard’s situation. This has seen Chelsea get linked with a number of goalkeepers as a a potential replacement for Kepa with Ajax’s Andre Onana being one among them.
Onana, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, joined Ajax in the summer of 2015 and has grown into a key member of the team. Till date, the 23-year-old has made 171 appearances for the Dutch heavyweights, winning a solitary Eredivisie title in the process. In the ongoing term, Onana has featured in 32 matches in all competitions for Ajax, keeping 13 clean sheets.
Onana had been linked with a move away from Ajax last summer, with a potential return to Barcelona being mooted. However, nothing materialised on that front, although the Catalans are still believed to be monitoring the Cameroonian international as per the report.
Tottenham Hotspur are also monitoring Onana, according to the aforementioned report. With club captain Hugo Lloris well into his thirties, the North Londoners could be potentially eyeing the Ajax No. 1 as a long-term replacement for the Frenchman.
Paris Saint-Germain are also interested in signing the 23-year-old, but the French heavyweights have already been told that they will not be able to land Onana, as the shot-stopper wants to move to Chelsea.
Onana is contracted with Ajax till the summer of 2022. The 15-time capped Cameroonian international is valued around the €40 million mark by the Dutch giants. Any move to Chelsea though, hinges on Kepa’s future at the club. In case the Spanish international is able to reclaim his spot in Lampard’s side before the end of the season, a transfer would seem unlikely.
