TRIBUNA
Man Utd’s Andre Onana has been in the spotlight constantly since the club spent £47m on the player replacing David de Gea this past summer. Though his performance seemed to be improving in the last few weeks, his form has mostly faltered and fallen below all expectations.
Onana came from Inter Milan during the summer after delivering a powerful show for the Nerazzurri for the Champions League. But since making it to Old Trafford, the new signing has been single-handedly responsible for many major errors and upsets, leading to rumours that his time at United may well soon be at an end.
What We Know Regarding Onana
Erik ten Hag’s team has majorly struggled from the start of the Premier League season, having lost to Spurs, Arsenal, and Brighton in the first five games. As for Onana’s part in that, a whopping 10 goals were conceded, leaving Onana concerned for his future with United.
Most recently, the team also suffered a shutout defeat against Bournemouth.
Because of their poor form, several players, including Onana, have had their performances and futures questioned. Onana’s shot-stopping ability in particular was criticised after the loss of those 10 goals.
The 27-year-old’s string of errors during the first few months at United suggest he could use some relief, with Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir starting to look like more and more of an attractive alternative. Still, ten Hag has yet to make a move, leaving the betting sites with no GamStop in the UK rampant with wild but potentially profitable odds.
Rumours About Onana Are Abound
Nobody wants to hear their future in doubt so soon after arriving at a new club, but Onana is undoubtedly aware of the rumours linking him to tales of Milan player Maigan. After sharing Serie A together, both the French international and Onana caught United’s eye, though the latter ultimately won out a contract.
Nevertheless, less than one year into the move to United, rumours have begun cropping up, including a supposed offer to Athletic Club’s Unai Simon, who turned down the move. Other sources reportedly claim that the club may shift its focus to Maignan to improve their impaired goalkeeping instead.
Man Utd Says Onana Stays
Undoubtedly, Onana is the first to admit that he has not performed up to expectations with United this season, having caused serious blunders in both the Champions and Premier Leagues. In fact, those errors have directly led to losses, and it also harmed the club’s long-term hopes for succeeding this season.
Even so, ten Hag and Man Utd back Onana, though praise is not consistent across the board. Ex-Liverpool star Jamie Carragher called the new goalkeeper a “liability,” and Sky Sports was in agreement. Deserved or not, earning that kind of reputation takes a long time to overcome. Worse yet, the goalkeeper’s consistent gaffes have led to rival analysts exploiting such expectations.
Still, while opinions about the shot-stopper are mixed, ten Hag still believes Onana will evolve into the goalkeeper he knows he can be. In the meantime, it seems that he is here to stay for another day.
Onana Is Still Out For January
The public still appears to support and be on Onana’s side, which puts him in a position to remain the number-one goalkeeper at United for quite some time. However, ten Hag will have to go without the new signing for a little while next year; Onana will be competing with Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations, rendering him absent for most of January.
Naturally, an obvious solution is to bring Bayindir up for a spell in the first-team, but since the January window is nearly here, it’s not unlikely that United will test a short-term option for the duration. Perhaps David de Gea?
