Manchester United just started getting ready for the new season, and now the Red Devils are already dealing with their first setback. André Onana might even miss the Premier League opener.
Since the presentation of new signing Matheus Cunha at the beginning of June, things have been quiet around Manchester United. This could change soon, at least according to the Daily Telegraph, which reports that a breakthrough in negotiations for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo is expected in the coming days.
The Cameroonian striker is expected to spend much of the preseason with the Red Devils, unlike his compatriot André Onana.
Injury after just a few days of training
Due to a thigh injury sustained during his first training sessions, the goalkeeper is expected to be unavailable to United coach Ruben Amorim until the start of the Premier League season. Depending on how his recovery progresses, it is even likely that Onana will not be between the posts for the league opener against Arsenal (August 17, 5:30 p.m.) at the earliest, according to reports.
This means that the only remaining backup goalkeepers in ManUnited’s professional squad are Altay Bayindir and veteran Tom Heaton, who recently extended his contract with his youth club by another year. Amorim and the club’s management now have to weigh up whether signing a new goalkeeper is necessary given the tense personnel situation.
High transfer fee, great dissatisfaction
Onana, in any case, failed to convince his critics in the past season, conceding 65 goals in 50 competitive games and keeping a clean sheet on 11 occasions. The 29-year-old has not yet justified the €55 million transfer fee that ManUnited paid to Inter Milan in 2023.
It is highly doubtful that this will change in his third year. ManUnited, for its part, must now first evaluate how to deal with the Cameroonian’s weeks-long absence.
