Manchester United decided, after the Grimsby Town humiliation, that a new goalkeeper was needed.
Andre Onana was assured that he would remain the club’s No.1 moving forward, but the EFL Cup horror show forced a rethink.
Altay Bayindir was preferred in goal for all three Premier League games, while Senne Lammens arrived on deadline day.
All this meant the Cameroonian effectively became third-choice, and he soon realised that leaving on loan was the best option for him.
Right decision
The 29-year-old moved to Trabzonspor on loan, and Cameroon’s goalkeeping coach Carlos Kameni told Africa Foot that he supported the ex-Ajax ace’s decision to jump ship.
The former Cameroon international also revealed that his compatriot had struggled to deal with the pressure at United, and that it made sense to play regularly for a smaller club as compared to sitting on the bench at Old Trafford.
“It’s a good choice. André was struggling at Manchester United. Last season, he was heavily criticized, and since the start of the season, he’d barely played (one Cup match), and everyone, including him, understood that he was likely to spend a lot of time on the bench or in the stands.
“I told him he was right. It’s a good choice. It’s better to be a starter at a very good club in a good league than a substitute at a big club in a big league, right?
“In Turkey, he’ll certainly be watched, because he’s a very good goalkeeper, but I think he’ll be under a little less pressure than at Manchester United.”
Will return to form
The Turkish club do not have a buy option, and INEOS have no plans of reintegrating him. Kameni feels Andre Onana will excel in the Turkish league, thereby drawing significant attention ahead of next summer’s transfer window.
“Yes. He hasn’t lost his qualities at Manchester United. As can happen to all great athletes, he may experience a more complicated spell for a few months.
“André Onana is very professional, he remains a reliable player, and if he has a good season in Turkey, he’ll be in demand next summer.”
The Red Devils won’t mind. They will hope the goalie succeeds, so that they can recoup a sizeable fee from his sale.
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
