Ajax manager confirms transfer agreement with Chelsea target

Ajax manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that the club have an agreement with Andre Onana that he will be allowed to leave the club this summer amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona.

The Cameroonian recently stated his desire to take a ‘new step’ in his career after five years in Amsterdam, with the Eredivisie champions having already lost a host of their most talented players in the past year.

Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong joined Juventus and Barcelona respectively last summer, while Hakim Ziyech has agreed a move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are also looking to sign Onana as a replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has struggled to live up to his massive price tag, while Barca want to re-sign the keeper to act as cover and competition for Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Onana claims he has an agreement with Ajax that he will be allowed to leave Amsterdam if their price tag – believed to be around £25million – is met, and Ten Hag has now confirmed that to be the case.

‘Andre is very important to us and of course we don’t want to lose him,’ the Ajax boss told Algemeen Dagblad.

‘But it’s true that we have an agreement from last year about the development scenario and what steps we will take if the right club comes in at the right price.’

On whether either Chelsea or Barcelona have turned their interest into a formal offer, Ten Hag added: ‘As far as I know, no concrete offer has been made to Ajax.’

Onana won the Eredivisie title last season, also reaching the semi-final of the Champions League, while the side were also competing for the title this season prior to the coronavirus crisis seeing the campaign voided.

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However, the 24-year-old has made it clear he is ready to leave, saying last week: ‘Don’t get me wrong, I am very happy with Ajax and I am very grateful to the club.

‘It was five great years here, but now my time has come to take a step. I don’t yet know what will happen, but my ambitions and agreements are clear.’