Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim cannot enter the 2025-26 Premier League season with two first-team Manchester United stars underperforming again at Old Trafford.
The 40-year-old Manchester United manager will be under immense pressure from the outset and Ruben Amorim has to send a statement of intent to his detractors.
United suffered their worst finish in the Premier League era last season, with the Red Devils in 15th place in the table at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Red Devils are expected to invest in the United first-team squad this summer as part of a major rebuild for Amorim at Old Trafford ahead of the new season.
Amorim faced a tall order in the 2024-25 season after the Red Devils had already endured a poor start to the Premier League campaign under Erik ten Hag.
The former Sporting CP manager took the reins from former United manager Erik ten Hag and Amorim received a ‘pass’ from most pundits over the club’s season.
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Ruben Amorim on the touchline wearing a Manchester United t-shirt
Photo by Annice Lyn/Manchester United via Getty Images
Andre Onana finally has to prove why he deserves to be Man Utd’s No 1 after replacing David de Gea at Old Trafford
Andre Onana is expected to enter his third full season with Manchester United in the 2025-26 campaign and the 29-year-old has nowhere to hide now in his role.
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United splashed out a £47.2m deal to sign the Cameroon international from Inter Milan in 2023 and Andre Onana reunited with former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag’s call to allow David de Gea to leave Old Trafford in 2023 and to replace him with Onana between the sticks remains a contentious issue for United fans.
It is not surprising that Onana has left Red Devils supporters divided about his position as United No 1, especially after his erratic form for the Red Devils.
Onana was arguably one of United’s strongest performers at the start of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign, despite the cracks emerging under Ten Hag at the club.
However, the 29-year-old Cameroonian’s form worsened as the season progressed and Onana once again found himself committing howlers for the Red Devils.
Onana made 50 appearances across all competitions last season and the former Ajax and Inter Milan shot-stopper only managed to secure 11 clean sheets to his name.
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Altay Bayindir has the same point to prove as Andre Onana under Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim in the 2025-26 season
Andre Onana was fortunate to remain Amorim’s first-choice pick for United No 1, but that was equally due in part to the disappointing run of form for Altay Bayindir.
Altay Bayindir did have his high points for the Red Devils last season, including his heroics for United against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup in January.
But the 27-year-old Turkish shot-stopper, much like United teammate Onana, was also on the receiving end of howlers and didn’t instil confidence in Red Devils fans.
United signed Bayindir during Ten Hag’s reign at Old Trafford and the Turkey international arrived from Fenerbahce for a £4.3m transfer fee in 2023.
Both Bayindir and Onana need to step up in the 2025-26 season at Old Trafford and finally prove that they can ‘lock’ down their key position in an error-free way.
If the two aforementioned United players fail to make their mark next season, then it would not be surprising to see Amorim look for replacements in the near future.