Inter Announce Onana and Mkhitaryan Deals

If you felt like the signings of Romelu Lukaku and Kristjan Asllani weren’t enough, no need to worry. Inter added yet two more names to its signing list with the official announcements for deals with free agents Andre Onana and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Onana joins on a reported five-year deal after his contract with Ajax ran out. The 26-year-old has been at the Dutch club since a 2015 move from Barcelona’s academy, making 212 appearances, and winning 3 Eredivisie titles, 2 Dutch Cups, and 1 Super Cup in Holland. His final season at Ajax wasn’t much to write home about, however, as he sat out a 9-month doping ban and then was error-prone in his few starts for both Ajax and the Cameroonian national team. Still, there’s a ton to like about this move. Onana had been a high-level starter for a number of seasons prior to his ban and at just 26, he should get back to that level and stay at it for at least 5-plus seasons. Even if he’s not quite 100% this year, Samir Handanovic is still there to take charge until Onana is ready.

Inter’s other arrival was Roma’s Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The 33-year-old joins on a two-season deal after three campaigns in the capital city. Mkhitaryan tallied 117 appearances for Roma, notching 29 goals and 28 assists, including 5 and 6 this past season. He looks like the perfect Calhanoglu backup and should provide some much-needed creativity to Inter - the Nerazzurri have an unhappy habit of lacking that final killer pass without Calhanoglu. Inzaghi will have to be careful with Mkhitaryan’s minutes, however, as he has a history of fading as the season progresses.

What are your thoughts about Inter’s busy week? Is Onana the long-awaited Handanovic replacement? Let us know in the comments below.