Ruben Amorim puts Andre Onana and several other Man Utd stars ‘on trial’ with brutal summer overhaul in store
RUBEN AMORIM has put Andre Onana and several other Manchester United stars on trial ahead of a busy summer of transfer activity, according to reports.
Onana, 29, will be monitored in the final few games of the season by Amorim and his team as they look to make a decision on his future as Man Utd No.1.
The £47m goalkeeper was left out of United’s 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle on Sunday following two costly mistakes in the Red Devils’ Europa League quarter-final draw against Lyon last Thursday.
Onana made two horror blunders to concede twice against the French club after a war-of-words with Lyon star Nemanja Matic in the build up to the fixture.
Matic had labelled Onana as “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man Utd history”, while Lyon fans jeered and booed the shot-stopper prior to kick-off after he has claimed United were a better team than their European counterparts.
And after Amorim dropped Onana for the Magpies clash, he has now placed him “on trial” for the remainder of the season.
That’s according to The i Paper, who have reported that Man Utd have prioritised signing a new goalkeeper in the summer and whether that new arrival will be first choice or not depends on Onana’s performances between now and the end of the season.
Turkish international Altay Bayindir, who conceded four goals as Onana’s replacement on Sunday, is expected to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season in search of regular first-team football.
It’s claimed that Onana is just one of many players who could fall victim to a summer overhaul at the Theatre of Dreams, with very few senior players said to be safe.
Amorim explained that he left Onana out of the Newcastle game to allow him to “disconnect” and prepare for the second leg against Lyon this week.
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He said: “Of course, you have to see the context, it is a normal thing. Sometimes, you have to push the player to play again, sometimes you have to let him disconnect a little bit.
“Tomorrow, he will be in training to prepare for the next one [Lyon] so I felt that it was a good time for Andre to disconnect.
“I think he was okay [about it] because I explained and then, you don’t need to like [it], but you understand because I explain every situation.
“It’s a normal situation, you have to manage everything, sometimes people just look at the physical aspect but the mental aspect is really, really important.
“It’s for just one game and we give Altay an opportunity, he deserves it also and then, again, tomorrow is a new life and we will prepare for the next one.”
Onana, who turned up to Man Utd training alongside his agent this week, has been linked with an exit from the United but is said to be in the dark over the club’s plans for him.
It is reported by Manchester Evening News that United would need to get at least £26.2m this summer to avoid a Financial Fair Play loss on Onana after amortisation.
Onana has made eight errors leading to goals this season as United have now confirmed their worst ever Premier League points haul following their Newcastle defeat.
Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen, Porto gloveman Diogo Costa and AC Milan’s French international Mike Maignan have all been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer.
While SunSport recently revealed that Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale and Championship duo Freddie Woodman and Aynsley Pears are also on the club’s list.