Van der Sar picks Onana over Raya in ‘World Class Goalkeepers’ list

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By Emmanuel Okogba

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Former Manchester United and Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has named André Onana among the current world-class goalkeepers, placing him ahead of Arsenal’s David Raya in his latest assessment of elite shot-stoppers.

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In an interview shared on ESPN UK’s X page, Van der Sar highlighted a select group he considers truly world-class. Alongside Onana (Manchester United and Cameroon), the list includes Liverpool and Brazil’s Alisson Becker, Real Madrid and Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois, AC Milan/Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Bayern Munich/Germany’s Manuel Neuer.

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Other prominent goalkeepers not included in Van der Sar’s world-class category are Atlético Madrid’s Jan Oblak (Slovenia), Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany), Inter Milan’s Yann Sommer (Switzerland), Newcastle’s Nick Pope (England), Everton’s Jordan Pickford (England), Chelsea’s Robert Sánchez (Spain), and AC Milan’s Mike Maignan (France).

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Van der Sar’s comments come at a time when goalkeeping standards continue to evolve, with modern keepers expected to excel not only in traditional shot-stopping but also in playing out from the back and initiating attacks. His endorsement of Onana, who has faced scrutiny since his time at Man United up until his current loan spell at Turkish Süper Lig club Trabzonspor, will most likely serve as a morale boost for the Cameroon international.

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The former Ajax and Juventus star’s list has sparked expected debate among fans with focus on his choice of Onana over Raya who is on the verge of winning the Premier League title with Arsenal.

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An X user @_TheSuper7_ wrote ‘Between Ruud Gullit, Ten Haag, Arne Slot and now Edwin, you have yo think there is definitely something wrong in the tap water in Netherlands”

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Another, @Saka_army247 commented “Manchester United legends are like faulty clocks, they are right twice in a day. I have no issue with his pick, you can’t do more than your IQ permits”

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