Another Maguire? Ten Hag signing with ‘rare’ gifts backed for Man Utd revival under Carrick

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has been tipped to revitalise his Old Trafford stint under the tutelage of Michael Carrick.

The Cameroonian joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2023 following an impressive campaign at Inter Milan. The Premier League giants spent £47.5 million to secure his services, identifying him as the ideal long-term replacement for club legend David De Gea.

However, Onana’s two seasons at Old Trafford were nothing short of disastrous , as they were filled with costly howlers.

Following Senne Lammens’ arrival in August, United agreed to send Onana on loan to Trabzonspor, where he has been enjoying a largely positive campaign.

In recent months, Fabrizio Romano made it clear that INEOS have no desire to reinstate Onana in their plans, with the club directors adamant about moving forward with young and fresh faces.

However, the former Ajax star remains tied to MUFC with a contract until June 2028, and some media reports this week claimed that the custodian is determined to restore his place at Carrington .

Former Arsenal defender Jeremi has also argued in favour of his compatriot, insisting that Man Utd would gain a goalkeeper with elusive qualities if they grant him the chance to redeem himself under Michael Carrick’s watch.

“Listen, I know Andre very well and during his time at United there were a lot of things that were not right,” said the Cameroonian defender in his interview with Telecom Asia .

“It wasn’t just him, and believe me, with the arrival of Michael Carrick, things are looking good for everyone, including him. He is clearly talented and his gifts are rare.

“The next thing is for him to go back there and fight for his spot. Andre has always excelled when faced with a challenge, and he thrives on situations where he is given a fair chance to prove himself.”

Over the past year or so, we’ve witnessed a couple of inspiring redemption stories at Man Utd. For instance, Casemiro, who at one point found himself at the bottom of Ruben Amorim’s pecking order, managed to climb his way back to become one of the first names on the teamsheet. The same can be said about Harry Maguire, who recovered his reputation after years of nasty ridicule and banter.

But despite Jeremi’s best attempts, the MUFC hierarchy are unlikely to change their plans for Onana. The goalkeeper can expect to find him on the transfer list once he returns from his Turkish experience.

(Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Lammens has already established himself as a reliable shot-stopper, as well as a fan favourite at Old Trafford. The Belgian’s understudy, Altay Bayindir, is said to be on his way to joining Besiktas in the summer, but this wouldn’t necessarily open the door for Onana’s return.

Instead, Man Utd could finally hand Radek Vitek a chance with the first team after a series of impressive loan spells. The 22-year-old Czech has been delivering the goods for Bristol City this season.

As for Onana, it remains to be seen if he will be frozen out of the squad (like the ‘so-called’ bomb squad) last summer to accelerate his departure.