Andre Onana might be the one who decides whether he stays in Turkey or not. That’s the word out of the Turkish press this week, with Trabzonspor reportedly submitting a formal offer for the goalkeeper they had on loan last season.
The Cameroonian keeper never really found his footing at Manchester United after arriving from Inter Milan for £47.2 million in 2023. Two years and a lot of shaky performances later, United shipped him out on loan last summer to Trabzonspor, where something clicked. He looked like a different guy all of a sudden. Sharp, confident, making the kind of saves that reminded people why United paid that fee in the first place.
But here’s the thing: there’s no road back to Old Trafford for him now. Not with Senne Lammens in goal.
Lammens made it impossible for Onana to return
United brought in Lammens for £18.2 million last summer, and the 23-year-old Belgian has been nothing short of a revelation. He won Premier League transfer of the season honors. That’s not hyperbole. The kid has been that good. So while Onana was busy rebuilding his reputation in the Süper Lig, United quietly solved their goalkeeping problem for the next decade.
That leaves Onana and Altay Bayindir as the odd men out. Bayindir’s situation is still murky, though there’s interest from Turkish clubs. Onana’s path is clearer: go back to Trabzonspor, where he ended last season as something of a folk hero.
According to Turkish outlet Sabah, the Black Sea giants have made their move. They submitted an offer to the 30-year-old goalkeeper. They want an answer by the end of their training camp. And if Onana says no, they’ve got a backup plan: Wolves goalkeeper José Sá. Initial feelers have already gone out to gauge that possibility.
So it really comes down to Onana. Does he greenlight the deal and close the door on his Manchester United nightmare once and for all? Or does he gamble on another option somewhere else?
United is already planning life without him
INEOS, the club’s new ownership group, would be happy to see Onana go permanently. There are already whispers they’re looking for an experienced backup for Lammens. Someone like Karl Darlow, who could step in when needed without any drama. The kind of veteran presence that doesn’t demand to start but can handle business when called upon.
Onana has the keys. He’s the one who decides if this chapter ends cleanly or drags out a little longer. Given how things went at United, you’d think he wants the clean break. But in football, nothing is ever that simple.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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