Andre Onana: Man United goalkeeper responds to Trabzonspor offer | OneFootball

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has taken a step closer to sealing an exit from Old Trafford after Trabzonspor tabled an offer to the 30-year-old goalkeeper, according to a report from Türkiye.

An Expensive Mistake

Despite arriving in England with a reputation as one of Europe’s best shot-stoppers, having been described by Pep Guardiola as “exceptional” after an impressive season for Inter Milan, Onana has proven anything but.

Signed for £47.2 million in 2023, the Cameroon international is the third-most expensive goalkeeper in history, even if his qualities on the ball far outweigh his abilities when facing it.

A series of high-profile mistakes became the expectation during a torrid two-year period as United’s No.1, after he displaced long-term stalwart David De Gea at the request of then-manager Erik ten Hag.

When the Dutchman was sacked in October 2024, Ruben Amorim arrived in his place, with the Manchester United head coach favouring Onana over Altay Bayindir for the remainder of a dismal campaign. At the start of last season, Amorim reversed this decision, opting for Bayindir.

However, the Türkiye international fared no better than his teammate between the sticks, leading United to accelerate their pursuit of Royal Antwerp’s breakout star, Senne Lammens, who had enjoyed an outstanding debut season in the Jupiler Pro League.

An £18.1m deal was struck with the Belgian side on deadline day last summer, which, in turn, pushed Onana out the door as he was now third choice in Amorim’s mind. A season-long loan to Trabzonspor was agreed two weeks after Lammens’ arrival at Old Trafford.

An Offer to Remain

While Onana endured a rocky start to life in Türkiye, he enjoyed a strong second half of a campaign which saw Trabzonspor win the Turkish Cup with a 2-1 victory over Konyaspor in the final. Led by president Ertuğrul Doğan, the Black Storm are keen for Onana to remain in place next season, with negotiations having taken place with both the player and his parent club.

United’s stance is to seal a permanent exit, despite the Cameroonian harbouring ambitions of a fresh start under Michael Carrick. However, there is acceptance in M16 that his wages, which will increase once the Champions League bonus kicks in, make a transfer difficult.

Trabzonspor have been exploring whether a fresh loan deal could be agreed, with Onana understood to be happy at the Papara Park, having taken on a leadership role in the squad. And Turkish outlet A Spor reveals he has now “accepted” an offer to remain with the Black Storm next season, with the report claiming he will be in “their squad on loan for one more year.”

However, it does not mention United having accepted this proposal, which suggests the agreement is between the Süper Lig side and Onana, rather than club to club as well.

Final Thoughts

Unlike in other areas of the pitch, such as the left wing with Marcus Rashford, INEOS are not under the same pressure to shift unwanted players to fund the pursuit of their replacements. Lammens’ position as No.1 is assured, while Tom Heaton is a capable third-choice who holds an excellent reputation with the young Belgian.

A new No.2 is being explored, including a Scottish World Cup star, in the likely event that Onana and Bayindir both depart, but it will be a cheap deal which does not drain the budget in the way a new forward or midfielder would.

It remains to be seen whether United’s hierarchy would choose to simply accept another loan for Onana when there is likely to be interest elsewhere in his services, but his wish appears to be to remain with Trabzonspor for at least one more season.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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