Andre Onana is set for a loan move to Trabzonspor, with the Turkish transfer window still open; but with the move still yet to be completed, there are further details emerging about the Cameroon international’s impending departure from Manchester United.
The goalkeeper has endured a troubled time at Old Trafford since arriving in 2023 as a replacement for David De Gea. Viewed as a modern progression, a stopper who could play, Onana had issues from day one – on his Premier League debut against Wolves, he could have conceded a penalty and was saved by a dubious decision.
A number of errors contributed to United’s embarrassing group stage elimination from the Champions League in his first season, whilst further below-par performances in his second campaign saw a number of goals conceded which brought criticism from United supporters and the general footballing public. Conceding direct from a corner at Wolves was a low point, and the season concluded with a soft goal conceded in the Europa League final, a result which hugely influenced the immediate future of the club.
TalkingDevils understands that Onana was still expecting to be number one goalkeeper this season, even when he wasn’t selected for the opening Premier League fixture against Arsenal. Onana was pictured having a casual kick about in the summer on an uneven surface so when he reported back for training with a hamstring injury it did not go down well with manager Ruben Amorim. Nor did a request from Onana to reconsider his wage cut – an action taken across the squad for failure to qualify for European competition. Significantly, Onana was not considered one of the ‘bomb squad’ prior to pre-season but his attitude upon being dropped led to Amorim being keen to find a swift solution.
Amorim selected Altay Bayindir against Arsenal, and insisted afterwards that he had not dropped the man who was his first-choice last season – but when Bayindir started against Fulham, and then Burnley in the league following Onana’s difficult outing against Grimsby in the League Cup, it was clear that the Turkish international had stepped in front of him in the pecking order.
Onana had reportedly turned down offers earlier in August, most significantly from Monaco. But later in August, those same offers were not there. When United moved to sign Senne Lammens, it was communicated to Onana that he could find another club, leaving him with limited options. There was no forthcoming bid from Saudi Arabia and that meant the Turkish offer, with the lure of their lucrative tax regulations, meant Onana could theoretically get the wage increase he was keen on a few weeks earlier.
The loan is understood not to include an option to make permanent, with United hoping Onana will perform well enough outside of the glare of the Old Trafford spotlight to attract offers next summer.
