Report: Barcelona make contact with La Masia graduate, player bound for Italy

Having set their sights on re-signing one former academy prospect in the form of Dani Olmo in the upcoming January transfer window, it seems like Barcelona have cast their eyes on another ex-La Masia product.

According to Matteo Moretto on Twitter, Barca have their eyes set on ex-goalkeeper Andre Onana, who is in the final year of his contract with AFC Ajax and will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Onana, 25, spent his formative years in football at Barca’s La Masia setup, having arrived at the club from the Samuel Eto’o Academy in 2010. The shot-stopper spent five years on the Catalan giants’ books but never managed an appearance for the first team or the B team for that matter.

Onana did feature several times for the Barcelona Under-19 setup in the UEFA Youth League before departing for Ajax in 2015. It is there where the Cameroonian honed his trade and became one of the most sought-after goalkeepers in Europe, until his career took a hit due to a doping ban earlier this year.

Onana has not played a game since February earlier this year and is prohibited to do so until November, when his ban will be lifted. However, his time in Amsterdam is quickly drawing to a close as the custodian’s deal runs out in less than a year and club director Marc Overmars has already confirmed that a renewal is not being considered.

This has put a number of clubs across Europe on alert, including Barcelona, according to Moretto. He even goes on to state that the Blaugrana have had contact with the 25-year-old’s camp over the possibility of a move, as they see him as a great opportunity to sign up on a free transfer.

With second-choice goalkeeper Neto angling for an exit, a move for Onana could be justified, although it might end up blocking Inaki Pena’s promotion to the first-team setup. However, Moretto does add that, as things stand, it is Inter Milan that are leading the race to sign the Ajax shot-stopper.

The Serie A champions are in the market for a long-term replacement for captain Samir Handanovic and are keen to close the deal for Onana at the earliest. The Cameroonian will be able to negotiate with clubs from abroad starting January. Whether Barca try to bring him back to the club remains to be seen.