Andre Onana has agreed to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan for the remainder of the season, and the goalkeeper will leave knowing his team-mates hold him in incredibly high regard
Andre Onana waving to fans after Fenerbahce vs Manchester United
Andre Onana is set to leave Manchester United(Image: Getty)
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has agreed to join Turkish club Trabzonspor for the rest of the season, and will depart despite constant support from his team-mates.
Onana joined from Inter Milan two years ago for a hefty £47.2million. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, his tenure has been marred by numerous and costly mistakes. Last season, under Ruben Amorim, Onana faced severe criticism for his performances in the Europa League, which was compounded by a disastrous display during United's unexpected Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town last month.
He is now poised to join Trabzonspor on a season-long loan following United's deadline day acquisition of Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens for £18.2m. The loan does not include a fee or an option to buy, and it will be finalised once he returns from international duty. Onana bids farewell after a tough tenure, but departs knowing his team-mates have supported him and hold him in high regard.
In 2024, Onana began to improve upon a disappointing first season in the Premier League, which was characterised by costly errors in the Champions League. When asked about Onana's progression from his first to second season, peer Diogo Dalot responded with commendation.
"At this club, because of the demands and the expectations we have here, it can be really easy for you to fall mentally and to feel really bad," stated Dalot. "I think he found this balance of being really calm and really confident, and I think it shows on the pitch that he is really good."
Nevertheless, mistakes would creep back into the keeper's performances, and come December, he proved costly for his side in consecutive fixtures. Following a dubious display against Nottingham Forest, where a long-range Morgan Gibbs-White effort was handled poorly, Onana grabbed the headlines for a Europa League blunder just days afterwards.
Bruno Fernandes speaks to the press
Fernandes was quick to back up Onana after the Viktoria Plzen mistake
Early in United's encounter with Viktoria Plzen, Onana left defender Matthijs de Ligt exposed with a wayward pass and gifted United's opponents the opener. The Red Devils managed to secure a 2-1 victory, though skipper Bruno Fernandes supported his goalkeeper following the final whistle.
"We have huge belief in Andre," said Fernandes. "He knows he made a mistake, he's a clever guy. We don't need to tell him. He's going to help many times coming out from the back. We trust his qualities on the ball."
Approximately four months afterwards, Onana would endure fierce criticism for a series of errors when United faced Lyon in the same tournament. Throughout the opening leg of the quarter-final clash, he bore responsibility for both strikes in a 2-2 stalemate and was subsequently benched for a midweek fixture against Newcastle.
He came back for the second leg, with both Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro backing the 29-year-old, showing how much esteem Onana's United colleagues hold for him. The Red Devils advanced past Lyon in dramatic fashion before succumbing to Tottenham 1-0 in the final, reports the Mirror.
Diogo Dalot, Andre Onana and Harry Maguire take a selfie as they attend a Man Utd fan initiative in Mumbai
Dalot and Maguire have come to Onana's side in the past
"I think first and foremost, Andre has proven in his past that he is an excellent goalkeeper," Maguire commented. "He has proven that at Inter, he has won numerous trophies and played in a Champions League final.
"During a career, you always have spells where you have ups and downs and find yourself a little bit out of form. It is about how you build yourself back in and find that confidence to perform again," he added, with Yoro stating: "Now, Andre, we're with him, of course, we support him."
Andre Onana spills the ball
Onana was defended by team-mates after his errors against Lyon
Onana returns such esteem, as he revealed to PA last year: "In the beginning it was difficult. I am used to moving to [different] countries but it took me six months to feel good here. I was lucky because I have good team-mates, they were helping me.
"When I arrived here, I arrived as the best goalkeeper in the world and boom, it went down and you see how difficult football is sometimes. It depends on you if you want to stay down there or if you want to stand up and fight.
"But I decided to not stay there but to stand up and fight. Because I know who I am. I know what I did to arrive here and never forget what you did. Never stay too high but also don't stay too low, because at the end of the day, being a player for such a big club, when you win it's top and when you don't win it's terrible."
Onana hasn't always had the warmest relationships with his team-mates. Back in May, during their Europa League final defeat, he and midfielder Casemiro had a heated exchange after an early corner was conceded. It was also during this tournament that former Red Devil and ex-Lyon star Nemanja Matic labelled Onana "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United's history."
Despite this, Onana is now set to bid farewell to Old Trafford for the time being, even though most of his colleagues have consistently supported him. He can make this move as the Turkish transfer window remains open until 12 September, unlike the British market which closed on 1 September.