Cameroon and Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana has agreed to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan.
Although the move is yet to be finalised, sources close to the Cameroonian expect it to be completed in time for him to debut against Fenerbahçe on Sunday, September 14. Turkey’s transfer window remains open until Friday, leaving enough time to wrap up the deal.
Onana, currently on international duty with Cameroon, had also been linked with Galatasaray, but the Istanbul club instead opted for Ugurcan Çakır. The Turkish international, who started in his country’s World Cup qualifying victory over Georgia on Thursday, joined Galatasaray from Trabzonspor on September 2 in a deal worth up to €36m (£31.2m).
Following Çakır’s departure, Trabzonspor turned their attention to alternatives and identified Onana as a strong candidate to strengthen their squad. Club officials believe his arrival could make a significant impact.
United had been considering letting either Onana or Altay Bayındır leave after signing Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day. Although Old Trafford executives initially insisted the club was comfortable with four senior goalkeepers, manager Ruben Amorim has consistently pushed for a leaner squad given the absence of European football this season. Tom Heaton is the fourth goalkeeper in the senior setup.
Onana ended last season as United’s first-choice, starting in the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. However, a hamstring injury in pre-season sidelined him, and he missed all summer friendlies. He was also overlooked for United’s opening three Premier League matches, with Bayındır preferred in goal.
The 29-year-old featured in the shock EFL Cup second-round defeat to League Two side Grimsby, where his mistake led to the Mariners’ second goal.
Signed from Inter Milan in 2023 for £47.2m at Erik ten Hag’s request, Onana has struggled to justify his price tag. His error-prone performances, including a string of costly mistakes last season, saw him dropped for April’s Premier League defeat to Newcastle before being briefly reinstated in the dramatic 5-4 Europa League quarter-final win over Lyon.
