Onana to Turkey, United and the long search for safe hands
From Schmeichel to Onana, a tale of brilliance and blunders, with Bayındır and Lammens now asked to restore calm at Old Trafford.
Monday 8 September, a date that would usually breathe a pause into club football, yet Old Trafford has found fresh turbulence. André Onana has agreed a season long loan to Trabzonspor, with the Turkish window still open and the deal set to be finalised today, several outlets reporting no option to buy. The move follows a bruising August and the arrival of a new challenger between the posts.
The present tense, Bayındır in the shirt and Lammens through the door
Rúben Amorim’s reshaped squad now points to Altay Bayındır as the starter, Tom Heaton as the steady hand, and Senne Lammens as the long term bet. United signed Bayındır from Fenerbahçe in 2023, the first Turkish player to join the club, and he has waited his turn, taking cups and then league minutes, his profile suits a more conservative build up and quick reflex work.
Lammens arrived on deadline day from Royal Antwerp on a five year deal, a 23 year old at 1.93 metres, schooled at Club Brugge and Antwerp, highly rated for shot stopping and presence. It is a calculated swing on upside, priced sensibly, and one that tilts the depth chart toward the future.
Onana’s exit gathers its own logic. He lost ground after a grim Carabao Cup night at Grimsby, two first half mistakes and a shootout exit, the kind of tie that never leaves a keeper. With Lammens signed and Bayındır in situ, the lane to regular minutes narrowed, Turkey’s later window did the rest.
Since Schmeichel, a catalogue of hope, brilliance and the odd calamity
Peter Schmeichel, the benchmark
The story starts with the great Dane. He left United in 1999 for Sporting CP, then returned to England with Aston Villa, later Manchester City. He set a standard that has hung over every successor.
Mark Bosnich, a title and then the slide
Re signed in 1999, Bosnich won the league in his lone season as first choice, yet fitness and form faded. He moved to Chelsea in 2001 and was later banned nine months after a positive cocaine test, a personal and professional fall that ended his top level career.
Massimo Taibi, the Old Trafford glare
The image endures, Matt Le Tissier’s daisy cutter slipping through Taibi’s legs in a 3-3 draw with Southampton in September 1999. One more league start, a 5-0 defeat at Chelsea, and his United spell was done, Italy beckoned.
Raimond van der Gouw, the dependable deputy
Trusted and calm, he bridged gaps and steadied weeks, then went on to West Ham and back to the Netherlands. No great howler attached to his name, which is a compliment.
Fabien Barthez, stardust with sharp edges
At his best he was audacious and brilliant, at his worst he was costly. Two high profile mistakes in a 3-2 defeat to Deportivo La Coruña in October 2001 framed the debate. A month later, Thierry Henry punished him twice at Highbury, the aura flickered. He left in 2004.
Tim Howard and Roy Carroll, the early 2000s churn
Howard’s athletic promise collided with a brutal Champions League moment, Benni McCarthy’s free kick spilled in 2004 and Costinha pounced for Porto. He rebuilt at Everton and later in MLS, an admirable second act. Carroll’s most replayed clip is the “goal that wasn’t,” Pedro Mendes’ lob clearly over the line at Old Trafford in 2005, officials missed it and the law changes that followed owed something to that night.
Edwin van der Sar, calm restored
Signed in 2005 from Fulham, he brought a serenity that lifted a dressing room and a defence, a Champions League won in Moscow, records set, leadership banked. He later served as Ajax chief executive. His United chapter is the template for stability.
David de Gea, the long guard
Turbulent beginnings gave way to years where he kept United afloat, then came the odd very visible slip, Messi’s second at Camp Nou in 2019, the FA Cup semi final against Chelsea in 2020. He departed in 2023, signed for Fiorentina in 2024 and renewed through 2028, a good landing for a fine career.
André Onana, a hard year and a reset
Signed for his feet and presence, he never escaped the spotlight. Errors in Europe early on, then further blows last season and the Grimsby tie this August. Now a loan to Trabzonspor, space to play, a chance to reset.
What the new pecking order means
Altay Bayındır
Quick hands, big frame, a first Turkish Red, comfortable under the cross, less flamboyant with the ball than Onana, which may suit Amorim’s leaner structure. He has waited for this and carries the look of a keeper who values the simple save.
Senne Lammens
Modern size, tidy feet, young enough to be coached into United habits, old enough to challenge. If recruitment got this right, he becomes the one who pushes Bayındır now and owns the shirt later.
Tom Heaton
Trusted, bright talker, vast experience, a strong dressing room figure. If called, he will be ready, and that matters as seasons stretch.
What next for United’s goal?
United have cycled through almost every archetype since Schmeichel, the elastic shot stopper, the showman, the organiser, the playmaker in gloves. The lesson is simple, the right goalkeeper is the system’s spine, everything else wobbles without him. With Onana away, Bayındır surely gets the jersey, Lammens gets the fast track, Heaton is the safety net. The job now is to remove the noise that has trailed the position for a generation and let a pair of safe hands settle the season.