Andre Onana: Why Premier League club ‘raised concern’ on signing Manchester United goalkeeper

Amid Andre Onana’s imminent move to Trabzonspor, it has now been reported that the criticised goalkeeper could have remained in the Premier League.

The Manchester United goalkeeper was often criticised during his two years at Old Trafford, with critics pointing out his flawed shot-stopping and mistakes.

Onana arrived from Inter Milan for an initial £43.8m deal in 2023, but several high-profile errors have troubled the Cameroon international in English football.

Even winning the FA Cup in his debut 2023-24 season could not save him from further criticism, and more complaints followed in his second year despite the Red Devils reaching the Europa League final.

While Onana, 29, was expected to move away in the summer, a hamstring injury sustained at the start of pre-season seemed to suggest he would stay.

However, his recovery and subsequent error-prone performance in the EFL Cup defeat by Grimsby Town, which saw the Red Devils sign Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, have sped up his imminent departure to Trabzonspor.

Premier League club considered Onana move

According to a report in the Manchester Evening News, a struggling Premier League club reversed its decision on Onana after his performance against Grimsby.

The rumour suggests that West Ham United 'actively considered' signing the Cameroon international on a temporary deal, but were put off by the goalkeeper's mistakes in the shootout defeat to the League Two side.

Onana made two errors during the match that led to goals from the fourth-tier club, which reportedly caused the Hammers to 'pull the plug' on discussions regarding the United goalkeeper.

Onana has since agreed to transfer to the Turkish Super Lig, with Trabzonspor expected to take him on a dry loan for the season before the window closes on Friday, September 12.

Will Manchester United benefit from Onana’s potential departure?

It remains to be seen whether Ruben Amorim's team are better off allowing Onana to leave for the season.

Despite Lammens's potential, the summer signing has not had a pre-season at Old Trafford and may likely be thrown into the deep end in the derby against Manchester City.

Other options for the Red Devils include Altay Bayindir, who has never convinced for the club, and veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton, who was never expected to compete for Premier League starts but was instead brought in years ago in 2021 to provide cover in expected emergencies.

Indeed, Onana ostensibly remains the club’s most well-equipped shot-stopper despite the Cameroon goalkeeper's eccentricities and imperfections between the sticks.

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