Ruben Amorim faces huge Manchester United decision after Andre Onana transfer development

The latest Manchester United transfer news and opinion as there looks set to be a change in the goalkeeping department at Old Trafford.

There have been a lot of changes at Manchester United over the last few months, and it seems that another one may be coming soon.

Throughout the summer there has been uncertainty and speculation over Ruben Amorim’s goalkeeping options. An injury to Andre Onana saw him miss a chunk of pre-season, with Altay Bayindir replacing him between the sticks.

Despite Onana recovering in time for the new season, Amorim opted to stick with Bayindir. Onana’s only appearance so far this season has come in the Carabao Cup third-round defeat against League Two side Grimsby Town.

The deadline day signing of Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens is only likely to push Onana further down the pecking order. Despite the signing, United weren’t expecting any deadline day departures from their goalkeeping department.

However, things could now be set to change. With the window in Turkey remaining open, it’s reported that United have reached a loan agreement that will see Onana spend the season with Trabzonspor.

If the player agrees to the move, then it will leave United with three senior goalkeepers to choose from for the Manchester derby when the Premier League returns next weekend. While Tom Heaton is expected to be third choice, Amorim will still have a decision to make over who starts in goal, and it’s not an easy one.

The shirt so far has been Bayindir’s, but it’s probably fair to say that he has struggled. The goalkeeper made a mistake for the only goal of the game in the opening day loss against Arsenal and has looked vulnerable anytime the ball comes into the box, especially from set-pieces.

That, in turn, has probably impacted the confidence of the defence in front of him, resulting in panicked clearances and more mistakes. It’s not an ideal scenario going into a game at the Etihad Stadium.

However, if Amorim does take the decision to take him out of the firing line, it may be somewhat of a risk to put Lammens straight in, just a matter of days after completing a move to Old Trafford.

At just 23, he is still very young in terms of a goalkeeper. He has only had one full season of first-team football with Royal Antwerp, becoming first choice for the 2024/25 campaign.

The average home attendance for Royal Antwerp is around 12,500. For a young goalkeeper to go from that to the cauldron and the pressure of a Manchester derby would be a big leap.

He could, of course, flourish under the pressure and help reinstall the confidence of the defence. But it could also go the other way; with goalkeepers, mistakes happen, but they’re more likely to do so with a young goalkeeper under pressure.

The decision Amorim now has to make is if it’s a risk he’s willing to take. Or does he stick with out-of-form Bayindir and slowly integrate Lammens over the next few weeks and months?

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