Ederson and Andre Onana have both swapped Manchester for Turkey but as one prepares to make his Super Lig debut as a six-time Premier League champion, the other has huge questions to answer
Andre Onana's exit has come as a surprise and raises questions about his Man Utd future
Andre Onana's exit has come as a surprise and raises questions about his Man Utd future
Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag pursued Ederson and Andre Onana respectively and the motivation was simple - both goalkeepers would evolve the way their manager's wanted to play.
The two tacticians decided after a year at the helm that they needed to upgrade their shotstoppers if they were to achieve what they set out to do. Manchester City's former goalkeeper departed English shores this summer having put himself in the conversation of the Premier League's best ever goalkeepers.
Onana meanwhile leaves in a similarly live debate, discussing who may be the worst goalkeeping investment in England's top flight. Ederson set City back £35million when they signed him from Benfica in 2017.
If players are judged on a value for money basis then few have paid their fee back more than the Brazilian, who immediately did exactly what he said on the tin. He's ball-playing ability immediately evident as he sprayed passes in the same ilk as former team-mate Kevin De Bruyne, all from his own 18 yard box. His exploits being compared to a quarterback such were his vision and accuracy.
Within months Ederson had clips going viral as he controlled balls out of the air in his own half before passing backwards such was his advanced position. His feet were so impressive that when City found themselves in the midst of a penalty-scoring crisis the goalkeeper was touted as a possible solution.
In stark contrast to that Onana was raising his own red flags on debut. The goalkeeper flying out in stoppage time on his first outing with United 1-0 up before clattering into Wolves ' Sasa Kalajdzic. A VAR check somehow saving him - something the PGMOL would later admit was an error.
The mistakes kept on coming as teams found ways to breach United's goal with relative ease. Even if Onana was more capable than David de Gea with his feet, it certainly wasn't worth the fear he had put into his back four. Ten Hag was left to stick by him more through stubbornness than belief.
Ederson departs Manchester as a Premier League great
Ederson departs Manchester as a Premier League great
The then United boss launched a staunch - and questionable - defence of Onana months after his arrival. Ten Hag claiming: "If you analyse it well then you see he is the second-best goalkeeper in the Premier League." This was a Premier League that included Ederson, Alisson and Emi Martinez among his goalkeepers.
City's former shotstopper can boast three successive Golden Gloves on his CV, partly owing to his stellar backline, but equally reflective of the commanding presence he continued to be in between the sticks for an all-conquering City side.
His exit this summer came after eight years with an acceptance that the two parties had done all they could together and City needed to bring in new blood. The Ederson-era in Manchester will go down in the club's history books with Gianluigi Donnarumma his replacement.
Turkey is his new home after making the move to Fenerbahce. And in the Super Lig he will now be joined by Onana himself with the United goalkeeper making a somewhat surprising loan switch to Trabzonspor. Ruben Amorim had shown no desire to move on the Cameroonian, even if he was eyeing a new goalkeeper during the summer.
The Red Devils signed Senne Lammens on deadline day but still very much planned to have Onana as an option. But a route out of Manchester has emerged and, perhaps tellingly, United haven't stood in his way.
A heavyweight club allowing their, apparent, first choice goalkeeper to leave is a move that speaks volumes in itself. Onana's only outing this season saw him make another howler as United were embarrassed by Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup.
And so he'll call Trabzonspor home for the upcoming season. His debut coming against Fenerbahce as they boast their new goalkeeper, Ederson, who will also be making his first outing.
Andre Onana hasd continued to make errors leading directly to goals
Andre Onana hasd continued to make errors leading directly to goals
Two goalkeepers who have called Manchester home now get to enjoy the sunny surroundings provided by the Turkish climate. But there's no doubt that Onana arrives under a cloud. Amorim has not yet faced the media to explain why he let the 29-year-old leave the club.
Faith appeared to be dwindling with Altay Bayindir starting all three Premier League games thus far. The signing of a up and coming goalkeeper is also the furthest thing you can get from a glowing endorsement. But the nature of the loan agreement means Onana will be back in Manchester next year.
So whilst Ederson can embrace his new life in the Super Lig safe in the knowledge he'll go down as a modern day pioneer for how goalkeepers can be used, Onana needs to somehow show that his last two years at United were rogue outliers in his career.
What he's lacked in performance he's made up for in defiance. The ex-Ajax and Inter goalkeeper said in 2023 during his struggles: "You want to tell me in six months the best goalkeeper in the Champions League last season can become the worst in the world? Nah. Everything is temporary. I know it'll be alright. If not today, it will be tomorrow, if not tomorrow, the day after tomorrow."
Safe to say, those in Manchester are still waiting for that day to come, and it certainly didn't happen when he said it would.
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