Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
I think Altay Bayindir’s move to Celta Vigo caught people by surprise after the expectation that he would return to Turkey after his spell at Manchester United.
Altay Bayindir is set to spend the 2026-27 campaign on loan at Celta Vigo and there is no certainty that he could be back at Manchester United next summer.
I have seen reports that Man Utd have included a £3.5m buy option for the Spanish club and negotiated a sell-on clause as part of his exit from Old Trafford.
For Celta Vigo fans, United fans could tell them stories of what to expect from the 28-year-old Turkish shot-stopper’s time in England and I will tell them here.
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I expect Man Utd loanee Altay Bayindir to bring both the highs and lows with him to Celta Vigo
I feel that the most important part to start with Altay Bayindir is that Celta Vigo fans should expect one extreme from him to the other, both positives and negatives.
There can be times when the former Fenerbahce player can drop a solid performance, as he did under Ruben Amorim’s reign at Old Trafford in 2025.
I remember when he had his moment to shine after his two penalty saves knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup and Manchester United progressed to the fourth round.
However, I now warn Celta Vigo supporters that the highs are very limited with Bayindir, who was a real headache for us alongside Andre Onana at one point.
There is a reason why Andre Onana was shipped off on loan to Trabzonspor — twice for that matter — and Bayindir has followed in his footsteps by going out on loan.
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Altay Bayindir of Manchester United celebrates his team's second goal scored by teammate Casemiro (not pictured) during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Old Trafford on September 20, 2025 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Cristian Orozco of Manchester United poses after signing for the club at Carrington Training Ground on August 06, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Cristian Orozco of Manchester United poses after signing for the club at Carrington Training Ground on August 06, 2026 in Manchester, England.
I felt like I was watching a comedy act at times with how Onana and Bayindir would rotate between who would commit the next howler in a match during a season.
Trust me, Celta Vigo fans, it was not a nice time as a Man Utd fan to be watching the Bayindir and Onana link-up under Ruben Amorim or Erik ten Hag at United.
I don’t have a crystal ball to see how Bayindir’s run at Celta Vigo plays out, but he is an experienced shot-stopper at both club level and on the international stage.
That is not to mention that he has had a welcoming aura with him around United fans who have crossed paths with him off the pitch at Old Trafford.
I do hope that the La Liga club have better fortunes with Bayindir and the former Fenerbahce player is able to secure regular playing time next season.
All I can finally add for the Celta Vigo supporters is that it is honestly a roll of the dice with what type of performance Bayindir will deliver each time he is on the pitch.