Several Manchester United players have reportedly turned on Andre Onana following the Cameroonian’s disastrous performance against Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Onana was involved in a war of words with Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic ahead of the match, which began when the Red Devils goalkeeper said that his side should have too much quality for the French team in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Matic branded Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United history” during a staggering attack, but the 2023 arrival from Inter Milan was unable to answer back with a strong performance.
Onana allowed a Thiago Almada free kick to sail into the back of the net to give Lyon an advantage in the 25th minute, before he fumbled a strike from Georges Mikautadze late on into a dangerous area, which allowed Rayan Cherki to score.
Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim is now said to be giving serious consideration to dropping Onana against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday, with Altay Bayindir seemingly in line for his first league appearance for the club.
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Onana ‘loses support’ of Man United’s dressing room
According to The Sun, Man United’s dressing room has lost faith in Onana, with several of the players keen for the goalkeeper to be dropped against Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
The report claims that many feel he ‘tempted fate’ with his comments before the Lyon match and believe that it is now time for Bayindir to be given a run in the side between now and the end of the campaign.
Amorim revealed on Thursday night that he did not speak with Onana in the aftermath of the Lyon clash, admitting that he ‘used the minutes’ after the match “to try to calm down”.
“I don’t know, that can happen. The best thing is to look at the goals and all the actions that Andre has had in the game and to talk with [goalkeeper coaches Jorge] Vital and Craig [Mawson]. This is the best way to help any player – to focus on the game, what happened, what we need to improve and then put the player [in] again,” Amorim told reporters.
“No, I didn’t see him, to be honest with you. I used these minutes to try to calm down, to come here to say the right things. But it’s normal. And I think it felt really quiet, the dressing room. And that is a good thing.
“We draw away in Europe. That’s always hard. The team is suffering, but we need to change that and we have the opportunity to change. So let’s focus on that.
“We have training, go with Vital and we deal with that. So I’m really natural that can happen with any player. There’s nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help him. So the most important thing is to be natural. And then when the time comes, I will choose the best 11 to play. But I’m really confident in Andre.”
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Will Onana leave Man United this summer?
Amorim continues to back Onana to the media, but it is understood that the Portuguese is keen to bring a new goalkeeper to Old Trafford during this summer’s transfer window due to the current number one’s struggles.
There will not be a shortage of interest from Onana, as his stock remains high due to his strong performances for Inter ahead of a move to the Red Devils; Parma‘s Zion Suzuki is allegedly being scouted by the Red Devils, while Burnley‘s James Trafford and Lille‘s Lucas Chevalier are also admired.
