Man United Confidential: What United will do with Andre Onana this summer after plea to stay as full goalkeeper shake-up is revealed – and how Liberia could produce United’s next academy star
Manchester United want to offload Andre Onana this summer despite the Cameroon goalkeeper’s desire to resurrect his Old Trafford career.
Onana is on loan at Trabzonspor in Turkey for the season, but still has two years left on his £120,000-a-week contract at United. The 30-year-old wants to return to the club in June and fight for his place with Senne Lammens, who has established himself as United’s first choice after joining for £18.2million last summer.
But Confidential understands United have no plans to bring him back as they try to drive down the wage bill, and see it as unrealistic to have a high-earning No 2 keeper on the bench, with Lammens backed as their No 1.
Onana’s representatives are expected to hold talks with United this month to discuss his future, but another move away – either permanently or loan – is the most likely outcome. United would hope to recoup as much as possible of the £47.2m they paid Inter Milan in 2023.
Trabzonspor would be keen to keep Onana, and there is also interest from their Turkish rivals Besiktas. Monaco, who were quoted a fee of £30m by United in June, may well try again, and Saudi Arabia is still an option after he was linked with FC Neom last year.
United’s No 2 Altay Bayindir is also set to be on the move this summer, with a return to Turkey a possibility. The club turned down a bid from Besiktas in January because it was too late in the transfer window for them to find a replacement, but United would be more open to letting him go this summer.
Altay Bayindir (left) and Andre Onana are both set to leave Manchester United this summer
Senne Lammens has been backed as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper – with Tom Heaton, who is soon to turn 40, the most likely of the back-ups to stay this summer
Bayindir has made 17 appearances since moving to Old Trafford for £4.3m from Fenerbahce in 2023, and six of those at the start of this season when United were in the process of replacing Onana with Lammens and letting the young Belgian settle in.
The United back-up keeper most likely to stay is third-choice Tom Heaton, who turns 40 next week and may be offered another one-year deal. Heaton is part of United’s leadership team and his experience and support are seen as key in Lammens’ development.
Sesko’s photo call
No sooner had United touched down in Dublin on Monday night than Benjamin Sesko was whisked off to take part in a photoshoot at Croke Park for the club’s pre-season friendly against Leeds United in August.
It will be the first time the famous 82,000-capacity Gaelic football venue, the joint fourth-largest stadium in Europe (Old Trafford ranks 11th), has hosted a soccer game since 2009, and United’s involvement seems rather ironic given the adverse effect their presence in Ireland this week had on GAA club Armagh.
United checked into their Carton House base in Kildare on Monday evening having found themselves at the centre of a mix-up between the resort and the 2024 All-Ireland champions.
Armagh were booked in at the weekend, but arrived on Friday to find the pitches marked out for United’s kind of football instead. The hotel management, who are understood to have informed the club in advance, wouldn’t re-line it and rejected Armagh’s request to do it themselves.
Sources have told Confidential that the first United knew about the issue was when the story broke in the Irish media last week. At least their stay has gone smoothly so far after Michael Carrick and his players arrived at about 7pm on Monday following the short flight from Manchester.
Matthijs de Ligt has stayed at Carrington to continue his long recovery from a back injury, but Patrick Dorgu has travelled after resuming training on the grass as part of his comeback from a hamstring injury. Dorgu is training on his own and not expected to be fit for Monday’s clash with Leeds at Old Trafford.
It’s 17 years since Croke Park last hosted a soccer match – it was the scene of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying play-off against France in 2009
Reds could be Dublin up
Could United be heading back to Carton House in August for another training camp as part of their pre-season preparations this summer?
As well as the friendly against Leeds at Croke Park, sources say the squad will have a mini-camp towards the end of pre-season once the club’s World Cup contingent report back.
United first have Nordic friendlies lined up against Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18, Rosenborg in Trondheim on July 24, Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on August 1, and Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg on August 8.
Many of the World Cup players will be back for the game against Leeds in Dublin on August 12, meaning there may be a window for another camp in Dublin, before the final friendly against AC Milan in Wroclaw.
Michael Carrick’s side will face Leeds United in Dublin on April 12
Stars stay out for Irish fans
Fans who pitched up at Carton House to greet players ahead of their four-day camp in Ireland were pleasantly surprised to see Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire spend an hour taking photos and signing autographs.
Those in attendance remarked how United captain Fernandes, Maguire and head coach Carrick ensured every person who wanted one got a photo or an autograph.
It only underlines what many staff have been saying behind the scenes about the importance of keeping experienced role models and leaders in the dressing room, which was a key motivator behind the renewal of Maguire’s contract.
Harry Maguire stayed behind for an hour after United’s training session to sign autographs for fans and take pictures with the
Men in the middle
Central midfield is a big topic of conversation around United right now, and not just when it comes to the club’s pursuit of top target Elliot Anderson. In the academy there are a raft of central midfield prospects all intriguing in their own right.
Jim Thwaites, 18, is with the first team for their four-day training camp outside Dublin, an invaluable experience for a player who will look to train more with the first team next season.
Then there is Amir Ibragimov, also 18, who has been sidelined in recent months with a broken foot and had to be content with watching this brilliant academy season from the sidelines. Confidential understands the teenager is closing in on a comeback and has returned to individual workouts on the grass, while also working closely with United’s sports science staff to build up tolerance in his foot.
There is hope he can play again this season with the FA Youth Cup, Premier League International Cup, Under-18 Premier League Cup, Under-18 Premier League and Premier League 2 all still in play.
Jack Moorhouse, who returned to United’s academy after a loan at Leyton Orient for the first half of the campaign, is drawing interest, both permanently and on loan, from abroad with a view to next season. Bolton Wanderers and Stockport County remain long-time admirers.
‘Your performances pick teams, get you a loan, get you in the first team,’ said Under 21s boss Adam Lawrence of Moorhouse. ‘The club’s part is to create the pathway. The player’s job is to force the pathway and make that final part and that’s where Jack sits at the moment.
‘What we’re looking for him to do between now and the end of the season is can you perform at the elite level and make the difference?’
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Jack Moorhouse has been challenged with pushing on to get a loan move and continue his development
The Butcher becomes the designer
A season with just one game a week allows players the opportunity to embrace free time, and that is exactly what Lisandro Martinez has done in light of his latest venture.
The Argentine defender has teamed up with anime brand Crunchyroll to launch a limited edition merchandise collection. Martinez, an anime superfan, includes various ‘butcher’ inspired items, fitting his nickname.
‘Something I love about this collaboration is that it allows me to show a different side of myself,’ Martinez explained. ‘When you’re on the pitch, you get so caught up in the game and live it with such passion that, in a way, you end up transforming too – just like the anime characters. The nickname “The Butcher” was born from the fans, so I think it’s a great way for us to connect.’
For any fans keen to get hold of a T-shirt, sweatshirt, hoodie or socks, the Martinez collection is available exclusively on the Crunchyroll Store.
United to face Liberia kids
United’s academy are currently in talks with the Liberian FA over organising a match this month.
The LFA are bringing across some of the nation’s best talents for a UK tour, which has already secured games against Chelsea, Southampton and Charlton Athletic. But it is understood the LFA are also in discussions to play matches against United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
These tours provide an invaluable opportunity for coaches, scouts and agents to unearth talent that may have, to this point, flown under the radar. Don’t be shocked if after this month of games, top Premier League clubs are offering trials to take a closer look at the best Liberian football has to offer.
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George Weah, Liberia’s most famous player and ex-president, while playing for Manchester City during Denis Irwin’s testimonial in 2000 – Irwin had to go off injured after a tackle by Weah
How Man U helped Man Yoo
Some heartwarming news from Thailand where United have teamed up with their official logistics partner DHL Express to provide an all-weather training pitch to the isolated community of Mae Suek.
Home to 11 villages and 11,577 people, it is one of the most remote communities in the world, 140km and more than four hours from the nearest major city Chiang Mai, and a two-and-a-half-hour round trip from the nearest football pitch.
Extreme weather often renders the local fields unusable but the new 4G turf – similar to what is used at United’s Carrington training base – will enable more than 1,000 children from two schools and three neighbouring villages to access training facilities every day.
As part of the DHL Express ‘Delivering Dreams’ campaign, five trucks drove 500 miles from Bangkok to Jericho Farm – almost the length of the entire country – over the course of two days. The installation of the pitch required land clearing, soil excavation and site-levelling to prepare the land, while 12 members of the local Hmong tribe were on hand to bless the pitch upon completion.
Patrice Evra took part in the first training session while Fernandes shared video messages and sent club jerseys to the community, 85 per cent of whom are United fans. It includes Mr Som Chai, a referee for local grassroots clubs and his son named… Man Yoo.
