Andre Onana: Man United flop seals loan move to Trabzonspor | OneFootball

Manchester United have agreed a new loan deal with Trabzonspor for Andre Onana, according to Fabrizio Romano.

No room at Old Trafford

Onana, 30, is set to remain with Trabzonspor after spending last season on loan in Türkiye, having been displaced at Old Trafford by the arrival of Senne Lammens.

Signed from Royal Antwerp for just £18.1 million, the 23-year-old Belgian has proved to be one of the best pieces of business by United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. He has brought a sense of calm to a position which was too often engulfed by chaos and clangers when Onana, or his deputy Altay Bayindir, were entrusted between the sticks.

Having begun the 2025/26 campaign with Bayindir ahead of Onana in his pecking order, Amorim quickly grew tired of both options after a streak of errors by the Türkiye international.

This led the Portuguese tactician to push for the signing of Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa, despite a downturn in form for the 2022 World Cup winner and the Midlands side’s costly demands to let him leave Birmingham.

Instead, United’s hierarchy overruled Amorim and heeded the advice of goalkeeping scout Tony Coton, who had been advocating Lammens as a target over the previous 18 months, with the Zottegem native ranking statistically as one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe.

The addition of Lammens to a unit which already contained three senior ‘keepers, once Tom Heaton is factored in, quickly led Onana to decide his short-term future was best served away from M16.

Two weeks after the deal was struck with Royal Antwerp, a season-long loan was agreed with Trabzonspor for the Cameroon international, with the Süper Lig side agreeing to cover his wages in exchange for no fee.

Remaining in Türkiye

At the Papara Park in Trabzon, Onana has become a popular figure for his adopted side, propelling them to third in the table and victory in the final of the Turkish cup over Konyaspor.

Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan has been publicly declaring his intention to strike a fresh deal for Onana to remain, despite his club’s inability to meet United’s demands for a permanent transfer.

However, there was tacit recognition at Old Trafford that the goalkeeper’s wages – which are set to increase once the Champions League bonus kicks in – would prove prohibitive for other potential suitors to match.

Consequently, this has led United’s hierarchy to accept another loan deal with Trabzonspor as the best offer they will receive this summer – with Romano rubberstamping the move with his trademark ‘here we go’.

Tweet: “BREAKING: André Onana to Trabzonspor, here we go! New loan deal verbally agreed as Onana is not part of #MUFC plan for next season and Trabzon are ready to re-sign him. Trabzonspor to pay loan fee to United as details being sorted then done, as @yagosabuncuoglu reports.”

Following a report by Yağız Sabuncuoğlu, Romano confirms Trabzonspor will pay a loan fee to United, with only the final details left to agree between the two clubs after a verbal agreement was struck.

Final Thoughts

If Lammens has been one of the best buys in recent years, Onana has undoubtedly been up there for the worst. His £47.2m switch from Inter Milan in 2023 made him the third most expensive goalkeeper in history, despite a completely inability to perform the basic fundamentals of his job.

United are intent on shifting Bayindir this summer as well, with a return to Türkiye the most likely destination as well amid interest from Besiktas. Bringing an end to the pair’s inept reign of terror will allow the United fanbase to breath a collective sigh of relief after years of fear whenever the ball entered the Red Devils’ box.

A new No.2 is being targeted to provide a more competent back up to Lammens, with a cut-price swoop for a Scottish giant making history at the World Cup on the cards.

Featured Image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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