Onana reveals he was 'in talks' with Arsenal and Chelsea before Ajax move

The Cameroon international joined the club from Inter Milan in July in a £47.2 million deal but a string of costly errors put him under huge pressure. The goalkeeper's errors during United's short-lived Champions League campaign were costly but his performances have since improved markedly and he believes he is now on an upward curve.

In an interview for 'Sky Bet' he spoke about his early professional career with Barcelona and how his destiny led him to Old Trafford. "To be honest, sometimes you have to accept the reality and you have to recognise that other people are good as well.

"I was 17, about to turn 18, and Barcelona bring in Marc-Andre ter Stegen who was 22. After three or four weeks, they bring in Claudio Bravo. Then I start to think there’s not enough space for me," he continued.

"I was looking for options at Arsenal or Chelsea, my agent spoke with them at that time, but in the end I decided to go to Ajax. For me, it was important to be in the first team somewhere – and then we’ll see what happens. When I had the opportunity to join Ajax, I was so happy."

Onana ended up joining Manchester United in the summer transfer window to replace David de Gea after a superb season at Inter Milan.