Manchester United have reportedly ‘agreed’ to let a player leave the club despite the English transfer window having already shut.
📢 Manchester United’s Turbulent Summer Ends with Onana Loan Twist
The English transfer window officially shut on September 1, capping off a record-breaking summer of business. Premier League clubs collectively spent an eye-watering £3.19 billion on reinforcements, smashing the previous record.
Liverpool led the way with a staggering £446m outlay, headlined by the arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and a British-record £125m swoop for Alexander Isak.
Manchester United were not far behind, investing around £215m to reshape Ruben Amorim’s squad. The Red Devils secured Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Diego Leon, Benjamin Sesko, and Senne Lammens, while Antony, Marcus Rashford (loan), Rasmus Højlund (loan), and Alejandro Garnacho departed Old Trafford.
Despite the heavy spending, Amorim’s start to life in charge has been far from smooth—and another twist has emerged just days after the window closed.
Onana Loan Move in the Works
According to Fabrizio Romano, United have reached a verbal agreement with Turkish side Trabzonspor for the loan signing of goalkeeper André Onana. Romano reported:
“Trabzonspor reach verbal agreement with Manchester United to sign André Onana on loan. Club-to-club verbal agreement in place, and final decision now up to Onana. It’s only up to the goalkeeper.”
Onana has endured a difficult spell since arriving from Inter Milan in 2023. High-profile errors last season damaged his standing, and this term he has yet to feature in the Premier League. Amorim has instead entrusted second-choice Altay Bayındır, with Onana limited to a single appearance—against Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.
The Cameroon international remains under contract until June 2028, but his immediate future looks set to be away from Manchester.
What Awaits Onana in Turkey?
Should the move go through, Onana will experience the fierce passion of Turkish football. While Istanbul giants Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş dominate the spotlight, Trabzonspor boast a proud history of their own, representing the Black Sea city of Trabzon.
The club currently features several familiar faces to Premier League fans, including ex-Manchester City defender Stefan Savić and former Southampton striker Paul Onuachu.
For Onana, a fresh start in Turkey could be the chance to rediscover his form and confidence—while relieving some of the pressure that has followed him at Old Trafford.
⚽ Kevin Campbell on Culture Shock at Trabzonspor
Former Everton, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest striker Kevin Campbell once experienced the unique intensity of Turkish football during a short spell at Trabzonspor between 1998 and 1999. Looking back, he admits the move was a major culture shock.
Speaking to the Daily Star in 2023, Campbell recalled how closely the media followed every detail of the players’ lives—right down to training sessions.
“You’d get marked for your performances in training, in five-a-side games, and they’d end up in the newspaper; that’s how close the press were to everything.
If we played any practice games, you’d get marked; there’d be a double-page spread on the game. In the papers, the team got five pages a day! So they had to fill them with something! If you did great in a five-a-side game, there’d be this massive headline in the paper the next day!”
Campbell’s story highlights just how passionate and all-encompassing football culture can be in Turkey—something Manchester United’s André Onana may soon discover if his loan move to Trabzonspor goes through.
