The 29-year-old goalkeeper, who joined United from Inter Milan for £47 million in 2023, had struggled to meet expectations, committing several high-profile mistakes that eventually led manager Ruben Amorim to drop him in favor of Altay Bayindir. ..Continue Reading
United further reinforced their goalkeeping options by signing Belgian shot-stopper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18 million on deadline day.
With his future at Old Trafford uncertain, Onana secured a loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor earlier this week—reportedly with a significant pay increase.
While Bayindir remained in goal for United’s 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City, Onana was immediately handed a start against Fenerbahce, where he faced off against former City keeper Ederson, now the No. 1 at the Istanbul club.
Fenerbahce edged the match 1-0, with Onana culpable for the decisive goal after he failed to clear a long-range effort, allowing Sebastian Szymanski to set up Youssef En-Nesyri for a close-range finish.
Despite the mistake, Onana was surprisingly awarded Man of the Match, having made eight crucial saves—especially after Trabzonspor were reduced to ten men following Okay Yokuslu’s red card.
The display sparked a wave of reactions from United fans, many of whom were shocked by the contrast between his error and his overall impact in the game.
“I always say it. Any player that leaves Man U always [will] have peace of mind,” joked one fan on X.
“No way,” replied another to a screenshot of Onana’s 8.7 match rating on FotMob.
While another simply put: “Man United is the problem.”
In recent seasons, a number of players have rediscovered their best form shortly after departing Manchester United—most notably Antony and Scott McTominay.
Antony impressed during his loan spell at Real Betis, netting nine goals in 26 matches before securing a permanent move, while McTominay became a central figure in Napoli’s Serie A-winning campaign, scoring 12 goals and earning the league’s Player of the Season accolade.
Onana will be hoping for a similar revival in his career following his loan switch to Trabzonspor, with his first home appearance set for Saturday against Gaziantep.
