Ten Hag got it WRONG with Onana Man Utd transfer...but right with De Gea exit

Suraj Radia

• 30 Nov 2023 12:45 CST
• 4 min read

Andre Onana will continue as Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper despite another series of high-profile errors, however he has been told by Erik ten Hag that he cannot afford to keep making mistakes.

Onana was at fault for a number of Galatasaray’s goals as the Turkish side came back from two goals down to draw 3-3 with United, leaving Ten Hag’s side on the verge of an exit from the Champions League at the group stage.

It is not the first time Onana has come under strong criticism since his move from Inter in the summer, with the Cameroon international making a string of blunders in his first few apperances for United.

Despite improvements in the Premier League, where he has conceded 16 times in 13 games, Onana has let in a staggering 14 goals in United’s five Champions League games, with only one team across the group stage having a worse record.

However, Ten Hag is believed to have stood by his goalkeeper, with ESPN reporting that Onana is still likely to be in goal for United’s next game against Newcastle this weekend.

But the 27-year-old has been told that he may be in the firing line if he continues to make mistakes, with the Mirror claiming that Ten Hag is ready to give backup keeper Altay Bayindir a chance if Onana slips up again.

Why Ten Hag was right for De Gea call but wrong for Onana transfer

Onana’s mistakes have led some analysts and fans to suggest that Ten Hag was wrong to allow David de Gea to leave Old Trafford in the summer when his contract expired.

De Gea also came under intense criticism during his final months at United and the 33-year-old has yet to find a new club, perhaps proving Ten Hag’s point that the Spaniard wasn’t the answer even if Onana’s performances continues to raise concerns.

Ten Hag managed Onana at Ajax and was therefore well aware of his erratic goalkeeping style, with the Dutchman feeling the benefits outweigh the negatives, with the Cameroonian’s ability on the ball reflecting the way the United boss wants his team to play.

However, while Ten Hag’s loyalty to Onana over De Gea is unsurprising, the decision to spend €50 million on him in the first place is more perplexing given his history of errors even before arriving in Manchester.

Onana has yet to live up to his price tag and the figure comes under more scrutiny when considering United’s poor utilisation of their budget in the summer, which has left them light on depth and quality all across the pitch.

When players such as Yann Sommer, David Raya and Gugliemo Vicario all moved this summer for less than half the price of Onana and are performing considerably better than the United star, Ten Hag’s decision to reunite with his ex-Ajax shotstopper deserves more questioning rather than his choice to release De Gea.

But Ten Hag has made his choice and he has no option but to stick behind Onana, with the onus now on his keeper to repay his manager’s faith and avoid going down as one of United’s biggest and most costly flops.