Andre Onana has made his first couple of appearances for Manchester United since he joined the club in a big-money move from Inter Milan and it’s safe to say that the Cameroon international comes with quite the personality.
Onana is not a stranger to issues on and off the pitch and a recent incident against Borussia Dortmund during United’s pre-season tour has made the rounds.
Harry Maguire’s wayward pass resulted in a dangerous transition for the German giants and after stopping the result shot on goal, Onana berated the former Reds skipper.
Now, speaking ahead of United’s return to Europe and their final two weeks of preparations before the Premier League curtain-raiser against Wolves, Lisandro Martinez has downplayed any suggestions of ill harmony between the two players.
Martinez, who shared a dressing-room with Onana for three years at Ajax, says that such incidents are normal in football and admits that United’s latest addition has a ‘big personality’.
“It’s better for (it), it’s better,” Martinez is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. “If you are focused, you can fight with your teammates as well. You need to make sure everyone is really sharp, but nothing happened (with Maguire). It’s part of football.
“Andre has a big personality. He can play football, he can deal with the pressure, he’s really positive, he’s a leader, that’s the style of Manchester United.
“We need to be better and strong in the mind because football is mental. When you lose, sometimes in one second, you can concede many goals in the Premier League. You can’t sleep. But we want to show something different this season.”
Onana was rumoured to be a player United held an interest in over the last couple of months but it looked like David de Gea would be extending his 12-year stay at the club.
De Gea’s contract extension did not go through, however, and it immediately became clear that Onana was Erik ten Hag’s prime target to replace the Spaniard.
The former Ajax star is expected to make his official debut for the club when the Premier League season starts in less than two weeks.
