Source: Manchester United
Following a series of poor performances from goalkeepers Andre Onana and Altay Bayındır, Manchester United has found itself in a goalkeeping crisis, a situation pundit Craig Burley believes is untenable.
United, who signed Onana for £47 million in 2023, has seen the Cameroonian international fail to live up to expectations, with a number of high-profile errors in his time at the club. With Onana reportedly nearing a loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor, Bayındır has started the first three Premier League games but has also struggled.
According to Burley, Bayındır is “absolutely useless” at dealing with set-pieces, a major concern for the team. Speaking to ESPN, the former Chelsea star stated, “Altay Bayındır, they can’t play him. He might be okay at shot-stopping, which is what goalkeepers are paid for, but he’s absolutely useless at dealing with balls in from set-pieces.”
United recently signed promising goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for around £18 million, and Burley believes the young Belgian will be tested immediately. “This new lad needs to be able to marshal a back four, make saves and have an authority and make a statement at set-pieces. That’s what every team is going to do against United now,” Burley warned.
The pundit was also critical of Onana, stating that the former Inter Milan star has “got worse” since arriving at United. Burley’s scathing remarks echo the concerns of former United goalkeeper Ben Foster, who believes Lammens’s signing was a “panic buy” and that the club needed someone “with broad shoulders.”
“I’ve watched a lot of videos of him [Lammens] on YouTube… and he looks on the eye test like he’s a competent goalkeeper,” Foster said. “I don’t think they’ve done an in-depth analysis. A deadline day goalkeeper signing tells me that your club is desperate.”