Manchester United’s goalkeeping shake-up has taken another unexpected twist, with Cameroonian goalkeeper André Onana sealing a shock loan move to Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor for the rest of the season.
The 29-year-old, signed from Inter Milan for £47.2m in 2023, has struggled to convince at Old Trafford and now exits three years into his contract with no loan fee, no buy option, but a pay rise that doubles his salary through bonuses and a signing fee.
André Onana Deal Structure: Loan with No Strings Attached
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed the move, posting:
“EXCLUSIVE: André Onana agrees to join Trabzonspor, here we go! All contracts are now signed on player side, waiting on counter approval from Trabzonspor and travel next week.”
“Deal done on loan from Manchester United as revealed on Saturday, no buy option or loan fee.”
“André Onana will earn higher salary at Trabzonspor with move set to be announced this week. Same salary structure as he had at Man United covered by Trabzon plus bonuses and signing fee.”
Onana is expected to travel to Turkey on Thursday, once paperwork is finalized. The agreement sees Trabzonspor cover his full wages, plus provide him with lucrative bonuses and a signing-on fee, effectively doubling his United salary.
From No.1 to Outcast – André Onana
Onana’s Old Trafford career has been turbulent from the start. Erik ten Hag, then manager, had pushed for his signing, describing him as the perfect fit due to his ball-playing ability from Ajax days.
However, after a string of high-profile errors and tactical adjustments that forced him to go long rather than short, his confidence and place collapsed.
“I arrived as the best goalkeeper in the world and boom, it went down,” André Onana told BBC Sport before the 2024 FA Cup final.
“It was like, what happened?”
By April, patience was wearing thin. Onana was dropped for the league defeat at Newcastle after costly mistakes, while United fans grew restless with his inconsistency.
The Grimsby Debacle & Final Straw
This season, Onana has played just once in United’s humiliating Carabao Cup defeat to fourth-tier Grimsby Town, where he was at fault for their second goal.
Altay Bayindir, signed as backup, started the opening three league games but also struggled.
Ruben Amorim, United’s current boss, made it clear before the international break that the goalkeeper position had become one of the most challenging jobs at the club:
“It is hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment.”
That set the stage for United’s deadline-day signing of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £21.7m, a move that effectively pushed Onana out the door.
Inside Manchester United’s Goalkeeper Carousel
With Onana now gone, United’s goalkeeping department looks like this:
Senne Lammens (23) – Highly rated, signed from Antwerp, tipped to be future No.1.
Altay Bayindir (25) – Turkey’s No.2, shaky so far but likely to feature in the Manchester derby.
Tom Heaton (38) – Veteran backup option.
Amorim now faces a massive decision ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium:
- risk Lammens with an immediate debut against City, or
- persist with Bayindir, whose errors have already cost points against Arsenal and Burnley.
What Went Wrong for Onana?
Despite his reputation as one of Europe’s best goalkeepers at Inter, Onana never found his footing at United. Club legend Edwin van der Sar, who oversaw him at Ajax, had spoken glowingly about his potential.
However, Onana was often undermined by tactical mismatches, constant defensive lapses, and scrutiny from pundits and ex-players.
Former United midfielder Nemanja Matic went as far as branding him “one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s history” before a Europa League clash against Lyon. Onana made two costly mistakes that night.
Though he ended last season as Amorim’s starter in Europe, the faith inside the club was gone. His absence through a pre-season hamstring injury, coupled with AFCON 2024 commitments, only worsened his situation.
