Andre Onana is heading back to Trabzonspor on loan. Again. This time the deal is fully wrapped up, according to Fabrizio Romano, and it closes the door on any chance of the goalkeeper returning to the Manchester United squad this season.
This will be his second straight year away from Old Trafford. The terms are heavily tilted in United’s favor. Trabzonspor will pay a loan fee of up to £1.3 million and cover most of Onana’s wages. But there’s no option or obligation to buy. So the Turkish club is basically renting him for a year with no long-term commitment.
It’s a pretty steep fall for a guy United paid £47.2 million to bring in from Inter Milan in 2023. Onana had some moments, but his second season was wrecked by a series of costly mistakes that made him a liability. The club signed Senne Lammens last summer, and the Belgian quickly locked down the starting job. Meanwhile, Onana was loaned out to Trabzonspor, where he played 29 Super Lig games and kept six clean sheets. He also won the Turkish Cup, which is a nice addition to his trophy case but doesn’t change his standing at United.
Why United shut the door
There were reports that Onana wanted to come back this summer and fight Lammens for the No. 1 spot. But United saw no reason to even consider it. Lammens was named the Premier League’s signing of the season. You don’t bench that guy for a goalkeeper who’s been on loan in Turkey.
Getting Onana’s wages off the books also frees up cash for Michael Carrick’s rebuild. United are chasing at least two midfielders, a left-back, and a winger this summer. Every dollar counts.
Onana is still under contract at United until 2028. But he’ll return next summer with just one year left on his deal and his future completely up in the air. Unless something changes drastically, it’s hard to see him playing for United again.
Leave a Comment