 "Manchester United's Andre Onana celebrates his team's goal. Image: Reuters")
Manchester United seem to be getting ready to move on from Andre Onana, as reports suggest the club might bring in a new goalkeeper who is worth about $52 million. This change could happen during the summer transfer window after the end of the ongoing Premier League season.
According to talkSPORT, Onana has been dropped from the squad for United’s upcoming Premier League clash against Newcastle following another disappointing display in the 2-2 Europa League draw against Lyon. The match is scheduled to be played at 9:00 PM tonight.
United manager Ruben Amorim , who is already facing scrutiny for the club’s recent performances, is expected to hand a Premier League debut to Altay Bayindir, the Turkish goalkeeper signed from Fenerbahce.
Onana’s form under the scanner
Andre Onana has endured a torrid time at Manchester since his $61 million move from Inter Milan last summer. Since the start of last season, Onana has committed eight errors directly leading to goals, the most by any Premier League keeper during that span.
His poor performances have made fans and maybe even his teammates lose confidence in him, even though coach Amorim tried to support him publicly after Thursday’s game against Lyon.
“If you look at the season, I’ve made more mistakes than them during these last games and during these last months. There’s nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help him, so the most important thing is to be natural and then when the time comes I will choose the best XI to play. But I’m really confident in Andre,” Amorim said.
United to target $52 million goalkeeper?
United’s top brass appear to be wasting no time in preparing to replace Onana. Zion Suzuki, the highly-rated Parma goalkeeper, has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Onana. The 21-year-old Japan international has drawn comparisons to some of Europe’s elite keepers and is reportedly valued at $52 million.
What’s next for Onana?
With Bayindir expected to play against Newcastle and Suzuki reportedly being looked at as a potential replacement, it looks like big changes are coming for Manchester United’s goalkeeping spot. It will be interesting to see if Onana can improve things in the remaining games.