MU must buy a goalkeeper, it's an order!
It seems Ruben Amorim may need to pause the chase for Carlos Baleba, as the goalkeeper spot at MU is under intense scrutiny. Without additional budget, Amorim will likely have to secure a shot-stopper first and postpone signing a midfielder until the 2026 winter transfer period.
Altay Bayindir was labeled a "culprit" by fans after the Red Devils' 0-1 defeat in the opening round of the Premier League against visiting Arsenal. In this match, the Turkish star was chosen by coach Ruben Amorim to start (instead of Andre Onana or Tom Heaton). Last season, Bayindir performed well in several games when given the chance, but for such a crucial opening match, Amorim opted for Bayindir over the more experienced Heaton. The 27-year-old repaid his manager with a basic error, resulting in MU’s only goal conceded on Super Sunday. A moment of stunned silence enveloped the "Theatre of Dreams."
Since David de Gea was pushed out of Old Trafford by former manager Erik ten Hag and Andre Onana was signed from Inter, MU's goalkeeping has been genuinely unstable in recent years. It’s become a major weakness, costing Manchester United numerous goals. Many believe that if De Gea had stayed, the number of goals conceded and matches lost would be significantly lower. As for Onana, while he’s had some brilliant performances, his consistency is lacking. He’s even made mistakes in passing—something rare when De Gea was around. With an unreliable goalkeeper, teammates can’t fully focus on attacking, as they’re forced to split their attention on the pitch.
After a highly unstable 2024/25 season due to a weak attack, MU has been proactive in strengthening their frontline, signing big names like Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and most recently Benjamin Sesko. When Amorim temporarily overlooked the goalkeeper position to focus on acquiring a quality midfielder before the 2025 summer window closed, the "Old Trafford incident" suddenly occurred, forcing him to reconsider. Even though MU only competes domestically this season, without a top goalkeeper, their journey to reach the top 6 or top 4 will be extremely challenging, especially as rivals are also aggressively reinforcing their squads.
According to commentator Gary Neville, MU’s 0-1 loss under Amorim shows that the goalkeeper position is sending out an SOS. If Old Trafford doesn’t urgently fix this mistake by signing a top-class keeper in the remaining days of the 2025 summer market, MU will likely pay the price again. We don’t know exactly what that price will be, but until MU brings in a new goalkeeper or someone confident and strong enough, their opponents will continue to target the area whenever Bayindir or even Onana is on the pitch.
During the press conference after MU’s 0-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Premier League opener, coach Ruben Amorim was visibly frustrated when questioned about Altay Bayindir. He strongly defended the Turkish keeper. According to the 40-year-old coach, his player didn’t make a mistake—the error belonged to the referee. Amorim may be stubborn, but he’s not necessarily correct. As previously mentioned, with unresolved issues regarding Sancho, Garnacho, and Antony, MU faces challenges in signing new players. This is a tough problem for Amorim and the MU board, as they need to offload surplus players quickly while making new signings.
There are many issues MU can’t resolve. Take Sancho, for example. MU and Roma agreed on a loan with a buyout clause, but Sancho refused due to a potential pay cut. Similarly, Betis expressed a strong desire to sign Antony but claimed financial hardship. Yet, they spent a fortune on other players while insisting they couldn’t afford the Brazilian star...
MU’s technical director Jason Wilcox has recently been working hard to resolve these matters as quickly as possible. However, MU faces the prospect of significant financial loss in offloading Antony, Sancho, Malacia, Hojlund, or Garnacho. Additionally, Wilcox has made initial contact with the agent of goalkeeper Emi Martinez, aiming to bring the Argentine international to Old Trafford. The estimated transfer fee for the World Cup 2022’s best goalkeeper is around £40 million.
That figure isn’t huge, but MU will likely negotiate to lower the cost of signing Martinez. Aston Villa also wants to sell the keeper, so they probably won’t make things difficult for MU. If MU prefers a taller, more elite goalkeeper, they could approach Gigi Donnarumma—the Champions League-winning keeper with PSG last season, who is now out of the club’s plans. He’s cheaper than Martinez at just £30 million, though his wages would be considerably higher.
Regardless of the choice—Martinez or Donnarumma—Amorim can no longer ignore the situation. He’ll have to act decisively and ruthlessly drop Bayindir; otherwise, the Portuguese coach himself will be in serious trouble.
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