Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Pic: Gettyplaceholder image
Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Pic: Getty
Andre Onana left Man United on loan to join Turkish side Trabzonspor this week after the Red Devils signed Senne Lammens.
It looked as though Onana would join French side Monaco for £30m, but the deal broke down, and afterwards, it was understood that United were going to keep the Cameroon international for the season, and hope there is improvement.
Ratcliffe pushed for Onana’s departure
The player himself made it clear that he wanted to stay at Old Trafford and fight for the number one spot, however, seeing as he had virtually slipped down to the third-string role, United made the decision to loan him out.
It has now emerged that one of the reasons why Onana left the club was that it was supported by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. According to the Daily Mail, Ratcliffe ‘supported’ the decision to offload Onana, and initially demoted him from the number one role in Amorim’s squad.
The report includes quotes from Ratcliffe in March, which indicated that he was already unhappy with Onana, due to the financial burden that he posed on the club. He mentioned players that are overpaid, and players that United are still paying for in instalments.
“If you look at the players we are buying this summer,” Ratcliffe added, “that we didn't buy, we're buying Antony, we're buying Casemiro, we're buying Onana, we're buying Hojlund, we're buying Sancho.
“These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we've inherited those things and have to sort that out. Some are not good enough and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for, and accountable for, will take time.”
Will Lammens start for United against Man City?
With Onana gone, it seems that the competition for the goalkeeper spot will be between Altay Bayindir and new signing Senne Lammens. Bayindir has started every Premier League game so far this season and has looked average at best. However, he knows the team, he knows the system, and he’s familiar with the pressure of playing for United.
However, despite Lammens’ lack of experience at the top level, the Belgian keeper’s numbers suggest that he is, above all else, an excellent shot stopper. Furthermore, he will be their long-term number one, so why not include him against Man City on Sunday?
Either way, it will be a tough environment for either keeper to come in and start against a City team with the likes of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki and more in attack.
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