Ten Hag favourite to REJECT Man Utd in favour of Ajax

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 21 Jul 2023 10:37 CDT
• 3 min read

Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag is set to lose out to former club Ajax in the race to sign Turkey goalkeeper Altay Bayindir from Fenerbahce.

That's according to Turkish newspaper Posta, who highlight the fact that Bayindir is set to be stuck on the bench at Fener next season following the €9 million arrival of Dinamo Zagreb's Croatia No.1 Dominik Livakovic.

Livakovic spurned the advances of Bayern Munich, Celtic and Al-Nassr to sign for Fenerbahce, and his five-year contract doesn't augur well for Bayindir, who is now insisting on a move.

READ: Onana OFFICIALLY announces Man Utd transfer

Bayindir had previously been linked with a move to Man Utd as the Red Devils looked for a new No.1 to replace David de Gea, who has now left on a free.

United have since signed Inter Milan's Andre Onana for €51m, but they remained interested in Bayindir, with Dean Henderson's imminent loan back to Nottingham Forest meaning they have two goalkeeper spots to fill.

Bayindir doesn't want to be a No.2

But Bayindir, who has been capped five times for his country, has no intention of being a second choice at any club, Fenerbahce, Man Utd or otherwise, and is set to move to Ajax instead. The 6'6" shot-stopper will cost around €6m and could displace Geronimo Rulli, who took Remko Pasveer's No.1 spot on joining from Villarreal in January.

READ: Man Utd set for SHOCK goalkeeper signing

Rulli is unlikely to make way, however, as reported by some sections of the Dutch media recently. "There's no question of that," Ajax expert Mike Verweij told De Telegraaf 's Kick-off podcast. "He hasn't indicated that he wants to leave."

United's deputy goalkeeper next season now looks set to be Zion Suzuki, the Japan youth international who currently plays for Urawa Red Diamonds.

The Red Devils have lodged a £5m bid, but he has not been signed in time for their pre-season tour of the USA, unlike Onana, and Mason Mount, who joined from Chelsea for £55m.