André Onana is determined to fight for his place as Manchester United's first-choice goalkeeper when his season-long loan at Trabzonspor concludes in May. The 29-year-old Cameroonian, who joined United from Inter Milan in July 2023 for an initial £44.1m, believes he will be given an opportunity to reclaim the No. 1 jersey.
Onana was loaned to the Turkish club on September 11 after inconsistent form prompted United to sign Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18m. Under former manager Erik ten Hag, Onana was first choice, but his successor Ruben Amorim dropped him for a match against Newcastle in April after a costly error against Lyon. Onana was also left out at the start of the current season.
Despite Onana's hopes, he faces a significant challenge to displace Lammens, who has impressed in his debut Premier League campaign. The 23-year-old has kept five clean sheets in 21 league appearances, displaying calmness and reliability. In Monday's 1-0 win at Everton, Lammens made several crucial saves and handled set pieces effectively, earning praise from interim manager Michael Carrick.
Carrick said: “You want a goalkeeper to be reliable, trustworthy and, instead of creating the chaos, you want him to take the chaos away and calm things down. I think Senne is that. He’s quite quiet at times and unassuming but he’s got a real steeliness. To step in, it’s a big role – for some.”
Off the pitch, Manchester United reported a net profit of £4.2m in the financial year's second quarter, compared to a loss of £27.7m in the same period last year. The second quarter ends on December 31, so the approximate £10m cost of sacking Amorim in January will be recorded as an exceptional item in the third quarter. Last year's second-quarter exceptional items included £14.5m compensation to Ten Hag and his staff. United's revolving credit facility rose to £295.7m from £268m.
