Andre Onana is set to become the first Manchester United player to leave the club after the transfer deadline, with a loan move to Trabzonspor nearing completion.
Senne Lammens’ arrival on deadline day brought the total number of senior goalkeepers at Old Trafford to four, which was never going to last.
With no Carabao Cup fixtures – in part due to Onana’s involvement – and no European football, carrying that many keepers has always seemed excessive.
Still, it is telling that the most expensive keeper in the squad was seen as the most replaceable. But according to information received by United In Focus, Onana is not buying into that narrative at all.
Andre Onana feels he has been made a scapegoat at Man Utd
Despite the mistakes he has made, Onana has never lacked confidence. He has always backed himself, and it has not gone unnoticed by supporters.
It is one of the reasons why some fans turned against him, and his view on the current goalkeeping situation has only added to that perception.
Insider Graeme Bailey told United in Focus that Onana believes he has been made a “scapegoat” for the club’s failures.
“Onana knew in August he could go, but he was always confident of becoming number one again. But I am told that once Lammens arrived, it was made clear to him that he was very much number three in the pecking order,” Bailey said.
“At that point, he knew he could not remain at the club, and that is really when his people started working hard on options for him.
“Onana firmly believes that he has been used as something of a scapegoat, and he still thinks he is the best goalkeeper United have, but he is heading into a World Cup year and African Cup of Nations in January and wants to be playing, so he has accepted the move.”
Onana needs performances to match his self-belief
Confidence is a key quality for any goalkeeper, especially at a club like Man Utd. But Onana never seemed to make people believe in him as much as he believed in himself.
It was more about what he said than what he did on the pitch. That is something he will need to address during his loan spell.
He remains a capable goalkeeper, having been named man of the match in a Champions League final just two years prior.
The door has not closed completely on his future at United, with no purchase option or obligation included in his loan deal.
Altay Bayindir will likely leave next summer, giving Onana a chance to compete with Lammens if he performs well this season. However, he will need to prove his worth on the pitch now far from Old Trafford.
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