Manchester United are set to loan Andre Onana out to Trabzonspor in the coming weeks, with the Cameroonian goalkeeper having fallen out of favour under manager Ruben Amorim - however, with reports suggesting that they asked for £30million from Ligue 1 side Monaco, it's already looking like a poor mistake with no buy option in his Super Lig switch.
Onana has made over 100 appearances for United, but he's fallen out of favour under Amorim, with his only game so far this season being in the shock 'cupset' loss against Grimsby Town, effectively signalling the end of his time at Old Trafford. That has seen him close to the exit door and a move away from the north west is imminent, though United should have gone about their business differently.
Report: Man Utd 'Asked for £30m' for Andre Onana Sale
Andre Onana in action for Manchester United
The report by The Athletic states that Monaco were the only club to register a 'real interest' in the Cameroonian stopper, but they were informed that his price was at least £30million, and thus they declined to go further.
Instead, Onana is now set to depart for the Turkish Super Lig on a loan with no buy option, and so United have missed the chance to get some much-needed funds through the door.
Having signed him for an initial fee of £43.8million from Inter Milan two years ago, Onana's early United days were riddled with errors in the Champions League, and although he won the FA Cup under Erik ten Hag, last season saw him fare even worse after being replaced by backup goalkeeper Altay Bayindir towards the end of the campaign.
With three years left on his contract, the Red Devils will be hoping that he can perform well in Trabzon to at least retain his market value for a potential sale next summer.
Man Utd Should Have Asked For Less Money in Onana Deal
Andre Onana
Andre Onana
It's another nonsensical decision from United when it comes to transfers. They have had some horror deals in recent years, notably the likes of Antony, who was signed for around £86million, seeing him falter in his two-and-a-half seasons at the club before departing for Real Betis on loan, who then signed him for just £22million. Donny van de Beek was another player who was a poor financial acquisition, signing for £40million from Ajax but departing just four years later for £500,000.
Onana looks set to follow that trend if he doesn't improve, and although they would have been making a loss on his signing, any fee in the region of £20million would have covered the fee for new man Senne Lammens, as well as the wages saved on his sale.
It would at least vindicate Amorim's decision to replace the former Champions League finalist with a younger option, with Lammens having been in the pipeline for a move for a number of months, but recouping money would have been the correct move.
A goalkeeper being dropped is the toughest position to come back from, with the lack of confidence in a man between the sticks being much more crucial than an outfield player, due to the margin for error being greater - and with Onana being dropped, bringing any fee in for his services could have been the logical thing to do.
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