When his Manchester United career got off to a nervy start in 2023/2024, Andre Onana garnered a lengthy list of doubters who contemplated whether he was the man to replace David de Gea.
Yet, after taking his time to adjust to the pressures of the English top flight, the shot-stopper began to flourish – even amidst such turbulent times at Old Trafford.
Onana, who forms one-fifth of the manager’s ex-Ajax cohort in the dressing room this season, was pursued by Erik ten Hag when De Gea pulled the curtains on his United career after 12 years between the sticks.
A £47 million fee was required for transfer chiefs to prise the Cameroonian from Inter Milan after only one season, during which he had a pivotal impact on how the side fared as they reigned victorious in the Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup.
United fans will know all too well that the Serie A giants also made the Champions League final in 2022/2023, and, despite Onana’s valiant efforts across the 90 minutes, he was unable to stop Rodri’s thunderstrike that secured Manchester City their treble.
Onana’s heroics spared United’s blushes in Istanbul
Nonetheless, Onana has continued to be one silver lining during yet another gloomy period in M16. He boasts the most clean sheets of any goalkeeper in the Premier League (four) and has prevented some of United’s scorelines from being considerably more humiliating than they have been.
Tonight, he reaped the plaudits after the Reds’ lacklustre 1-1 draw with Fenerbahce, primarily because of his absolutely ‘sensational’ double-save to deny Youssef En-Nesyri.
Onana was able to parry away the forward’s headed effort from point-blank range before recovering quickly enough to tip his follow-up attempt over the bar. Unsurprisingly, he was quickly praised by his teammates, for whom he’d just spared their blushes.
Club legend Paul Scholes detailed his worries with the current squad at the beginning of the current season, highlighting the goalkeeper as an area of concern. He said that Onana made him ‘worry to death’ with some of his antics, which, at times, is a sentiment that would be echoed by fans.
However, the 28-year-old’s stellar showing in Istanbul saw him earn rare praise from Scholes in the TNT Sports studio post-match.
“There have been some fantastic saves from the goalkeeper,” he said of Onana.
“But you do feel as though United have been slightly fortunate. They do have their own threats. Of course, they do. But Fenerbahce have been the better team.
“They’ve looked like scoring [but] they haven’t quite done that because of the goalkeeper. It was a great header to start with, and the second header is a brilliant save.”
