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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is facing a string of crucial team selection calls in the coming weeks as he looks to improve his side’s form in 2024.
Inconsistent form in the first half of this season’s Premier League, plus an early exit from the Champions League, has rocked confidence after the progress United made under the Dutchman last season.
Despite investing heavily in his squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, Ten Hag’s team have struggled for fluency, with goalkeeper a key area of concern for the former Ajax head coach.
The departure of David de Gea prompted Ten Hag to bring in his ex-Ajax stopper Andre Onana, but the Cameroon international has been criticised for a number errors and the United manager could now consider turning to another summer arrival in Altay Bayindir.
MORE: Will Man United sack Erik ten Hag? Odds, next games for Red Devils as pressure builds on manager
Who is Altay Bayindir?
The decision not to renew De Gea’s contract was just one goalkeeping change at United last summer, with Dean Henderson joining Premier League side Crystal Palace and Matej Kovar and Nathan Bishop also leaving the club.
With Onana brought in as a direct replacement for De Gea, Ten Hag agreed a late deal to sign Bayindir from Fenerbahce as United’s No.2.
Bayindir spent his early years in his native Turkey in the youth systems of Bursaspor, Arabayatagispor, Bursa Yolspor and Ankaragucu, before making his senior debut for the latter club.
Ankaragucu achieved consecutive promotions in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons with Bayindir between the sticks as they reached the Super Lig.
After making 17 appearances in his first-ever Super Lig campaign, keeping five clean sheets, he signed for Turkish giants Fenerbahce in July 2019. His impressive displays saw him receive a call up to the Turkey national side for their UEFA Nations League qualifiers against Hungary and Russia in November 2020; his senior debut came a year later in a friendly against Azerbaijan.
The goalkeeper arrived at Old Trafford with 166 career appearances and 53 clean sheets to his name.
Bayindir has Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League experience from his time with Fenerbahce – but he’s not yet made an appearance for United in any competition.
Now, his hopes of getting game-time for United during Onana’s spell at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) are not certain either.
Could Altay Bayindir replace Andre Onana at Man United?
Onana has been ever-present for United so far this season with 28 appearances in all competitions.
However, his early United career has been dominated by inconsistency and mistakes, starting in the 1-0 win over Wolves on his debut on August 14.
The 27-year-old was fortunate not to be sent of for a wild challenge in the closing moments of that game and has since made important mistakes in United’s ill-fated Champions League group stage campaign.
Onana has kept just eight clean sheets from his 28 appearances in all, conceding 45 gmaes in all.
He was at fault for two goals in United’s 4-3 loss at Bayern Munich and his poor pass in the 3-2 Galatasaray defeat saw Casemiro sent off and a penalty conceded. He also made two more mistakes in the reverse fixture at Galatasaray, which ended as a damaging 3-3 draw after United had led 3-1.
The temptation to bring in Bayindir remains an option Ten Hag in the weeks ahead, but Onana is still better suited at playing out from defence as part of United’s Plan A, if he can reduce the glare on his performances.
Bayindir could get his debut chance in the FA Cup clash against Wigan tonight (Monday, January 8) and further on this month as Afcon begins, although the situation with Onana is complex, and means the Turkish international could still miss out.
The Athletic report that Onana will be available for both the Wigan game and Tottenham league fixture (January 14), joining up with Cameroon straight after the Spurs clash. Cameroon’s opening Afcon game is against Guinea on January 15.
If Cameroon go all the way in the competition, Onana could then be absent until February 11, potentially missing United’s games against Wolves (February 1), West Ham (February 4) and Aston Villa (February 11).
Will Erik Ten Hag start Altay Bayindir against Wigan? 🤔 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Xp6T1Xu8BT
— UtdTruthful (@Utdtruthful) January 3, 2024
“At some point Andre will go,” said Ten Hag. “We are totally happy and we constructed this group of keepers because we are comfortable with this.
“We have confidence in them both [Bayindir and Onana]. They are very good goalkeepers, both experienced at the highest levels. I think we can have a lot of belief that we have coverage.”
Man United’s next match
After Wigan in the FA Cup, United thost Tottenham in their next Premier League match on Sunday, January 14 at 4.30pm local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sat Oct. 7 | 11:30 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sat Oct. 7 | 11:30 a.m. ET |
| UK | Sat Oct. 7 | 4:30 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Sun Oct. 8 | 2:30 a.m. AEST |
| India | Sat Oct. 7 | 10:00p.m. IST |
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