Mads Hermansen may have endured a pretty dreadful start to life at West Ham but the prospect of Andre Onana arriving at the London Stadium from Manchester United would still come as a massive surprise.
Four days after Hermansen was beaten five times by a rampant Chelsea inside just 43 miserable minutes at the London Stadium, Hammers News can confirm, via chief football correspondent Graeme Bailey, that Graham Potter’s side have been offered the chance to bring in another goalkeeper who has come under fire on the back of some high profile mistakes.
While many West Ham United supporters would jump at the chance to sign Aston Villa’s Amadou Onana – this is a midfield crying out for some muscle and athleticism, after all – the Belgian’s Old Trafford namesake is one few would have imagined ending the transfer window in East London.
Bailey, speaking to United in Focus, reveals that intermediaries have held active talks with a number of clubs regarding a loan deal for Ruben Amorim’s £47 million Cameroon international.
And one of those clubs made aware of Onana’s availability is none other than West Ham.
Andre Onana during Manchester United FC v Southampton FC - Premier League
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana offered to West Ham
Onana has been left out of Ruben Amorim’s starting XI for both of Manchester United’s two Premier League fixtures so far. Altay Bayindir kept his place during Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Fulham despite his role in Arsenal’s calamitous winning strike at Old Trafford the week before.
The Red Devils are now closing in on the signing of Royal Antwerp glovesman Senne Lammens. As such, this could see Onana slip from first-place to third-place in a matter of months.
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“Onana is now unhappy at this current situation and he is ready to look at options,” Bailey explains, a loan deal on the cards. “West Ham could be one of those, but there are others.
“With Lammens coming in, we could be about to see a changing of the guard at United. Lammens was never really seen as coming straight in as number one, but it could play out in that way.”
Onana is understood to be ‘actively considering his options’. The former Ajax and Inter Milan goalkeeper accepts that things have changed regarding his future with the Red Devils, shocked as he was by Bayindir’s continued involvement at Craven Cottage.
As for West Ham, Bailey adds that West Ham are ‘considering alternatives’ between the sticks already despite spending £18 million on bringing Mads Hermansen to the London Stadium as recently as two-and-a-half weeks ago.
Rob Green defends Mads Hermansen after Chelsea debacle
Onana joined Man United back in 2023 following Inter’s Champions League final defeat to a treble-winning Manchester City side. The 29-year-old has made a series of mistakes during his two-season spell in the North West, though Onana’s reputation as a supremely-confident ball-player may appeal to Graham Potter.
As for the man whose position between the sticks at the London Stadium is already coming into question, ex-West Ham shot-stopper Rob Green is backing Mads Hermansen to recover after conceding eight times in his first two games.
Green, who represented the Hammers from 2006 to 2012, feels that Hermansen should not be judged so early, especially after missing most of pre-season.
“At the moment, the goalkeeper is in with [those overall problems] defensively,” Green said on Sky Sports.
“He played one game in pre-season, Hermansen. He hasn’t played since April [due to injury]. He’s been thrown in and it’s been a lot to ask of him.”