Analysis: Manchester United’s Goalkeeping Problem: Onana’s Exit Leaves Old Trafford in Turmoil

Manchester United’s goalkeeper situation is once again under the spotlight as André Onana prepares to leave the club, with Trabzonspor set to take him on loan. His exit reopens the same debate that has haunted the club since David de Gea’s decline and only adds to the uncertainty surrounding Altay Bayindir and the newly signed Senne Lammens.

When United spent nearly £47 million to bring Onana from Inter Milan in 2023, the transfer was viewed as a statement. Erik ten Hag, appointed the year before, had built a reputation at Ajax for teams that played through the goalkeeper, demanding comfort with the ball and calmness in possession. Bringing Onana was seen as a way to usher in that identity at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag downplayed comparisons with his Ajax side, insisting his squad would dictate their approach, but the change in philosophy was obvious. United wanted to build from the back. It was never a natural fit for De Gea, who consistently looked uneasy with the ball at his feet. While his exit was also tied to his massive contract, his unsuitability to this style only accelerated the decision to move on.

Onana seemed like the answer, but instead became a new problem. His time in Manchester is remembered more for high-profile mistakes than for revolutionizing United’s play. He was supposed to make United more fluid in possession, but statistics suggest otherwise. Their passing sequences actually became slightly more direct, with the team moving the ball forward faster and stringing together fewer passes on average.

It is true that Onana created chances and attempted more progressive passes than De Gea. He also recorded a far greater number of long passes, showing more confidence in using his distribution to advance play. Yet even here, De Gea’s accuracy rate was marginally better, and United did not look transformed in any meaningful way. Instead, Onana’s most notable contribution became the errors.

Since joining United, no goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues has made more mistakes leading to goals. He sits joint top of that unwanted list with nine across all competitions. He also played more minutes than almost every other goalkeeper in that span, but the regularity of those errors was alarming. Failed claims from crosses, misplaced passes into dangerous areas, and shots that slipped through his hands turned him into a liability.

Onana is now heading to Turkey, where the environment will be less demanding but his reputation will take a hit. For United, though, the exit does not mean clarity. Bayindir has failed to convince in limited appearances. Despite his size, he has struggled badly when dealing with corners, often being outmuscled in his own penalty area. His error rate per minute played is the worst of any current Premier League goalkeeper, a fact that raises serious doubts about whether he can be trusted to take over permanently.

United tried to prepare for the future with the £18.2 million signing of Senne Lammens from Antwerp. The 23-year-old has encouraging numbers, especially in dealing with crosses, where his claim rate in Belgium was far higher than either Onana or Bayindir managed in England. He could prove to be a smart long-term investment, but early signals from inside the club suggest he was bought with development in mind rather than to step immediately into the starting role.

That leaves United in a difficult position. If Bayindir continues to falter, Lammens may have to be tested sooner than planned, with the Premier League providing a harsh learning curve. The idea that United can slowly integrate him now looks increasingly unrealistic.

Letting Onana leave might not itself be the mistake, but the entire process that led here points to questionable planning. United chased a goalkeeper tied closely to Ten Hag’s history rather than one suited to the realities of the league. The outcome is instability, with no clear first-choice option and the possibility of another season undermined by chaos between the posts.

For all the talk of transformation, the truth is simple. Onana never delivered what he was brought in for, and United now face the consequences of their gamble. Whether Lammens grows into the role or not, the club has once again shown how poor planning and misplaced faith in philosophy can create more problems than solutions.