Altay Bayindir might not have to wait long for his Manchester United chance
HomeHome > Blog > Altay Bayindir might not have to wait long for his Manchester United chance

Altay Bayindir might not have to wait long for his Manchester United chance

Jul 06, 2023

There has been a lot of movement in the goalkeeping department at Man Utd this summer.

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For a long time, the Manchester United goalkeeper situation took care of itself. This season, it is anything but certain.

David de Gea was the stereotypical first name on the teamsheet throughout most of his 12 years at the club, only ever losing his starting role on brief occasions before quickly taking it back.

For a long time, he was the very best shot-stopper in the world. However, with those incredible instincts and world-class reactions gradually on the decline, his saving ability was not enough to keep up with the very best.

Erik ten Hag wanted a 'keeper better aligned with his style of play, someone who was as comfortable with the ball at their feet as they were with it in their hands.

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Andre Onana already looks like the ideal fit. Sure, he might lack the same sheer shot-stopping qualities as De Gea, but he is on an entirely different planet with regard to his distribution and command of his area.

He needs more time to settle before he can be fairly judged in his debut season, though there might not be much room for error with Altay Bayindir set to become the club's fourth signing of the summer.

In years gone by, the backup 'keeper role at United has been fairly redundant, such was De Gea's monopoly on the starting spot.

The second-choice would only ever get games in cup competitions or end-of-season dead rubber, and no matter how well they played, De Gea would regain his starting role when it really mattered most.

That in itself might have allowed for complacency that contributed to De Gea's decline, something Ten Hag will be looking to avoid with the arrival of Bayindir this week.

The 25-year-old is not your typical backup option. Firstly, he is not particularly old for a goalkeeper and can be considered young in comparison to Tom Heaton, Martin Dubravka, and Jack Butland last season.

Bayindir still has a while to go before he enters the typical prime years for a goalkeeper and is not moving to United simply for a final pay day. He wants to have playing time, and although it might not be on a regular basis, he has no intention of sitting on the bench every single week.

The Turkish youngster will arguably be United's most eligible back-up since Sergio Romero's time at the club and could offer a viable alternative in the same way Dean Henderson should have done under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Bayindir could feature in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup and any potential dead rubber matches in the Champions League, which could be essential preparation for a possible key role in the first team next year.

Onana has been named in the Cameroon squad ahead of their vital African Cup of Nations qualifier against Burundi next month and could miss as many as four Premier League matches if his nation is successful in the final tournament.

The 27-year-old has not featured at national level since he retired from international duty after the World Cup in Qatar, and it is still unclear whether or not he'll reconsider his position after being named in the latest 24-man squad.

Even if Onana doesn't return to international duty this time, he is still at an age where he could feature in future international tournaments for Cameroon, which makes having a suitable backup important for United.

With nearly 200 senior club appearances and five appearances for the Turkish national side to his name already, Bayindir is certainly a compelling candidate for the backup role.

He won't arrive at Old Trafford with immediate hopes of being their first choice, but it might not be long before he gets the chance.

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