Onana is gaining significant value from his loan move away from United, though he still intends to return to the Premier League club once his time in Turkey concludes.
The Cameroon international was unexpectedly allowed to leave by the Red Devils after the transfer deadline, joining Trabzonspor, who are fully covering his £170,000 weekly salary.
The change of scenery appears to be working in his favour, following a tough two-year spell at Old Trafford.
Brought in by Erik ten Hag, his stint in Manchester was marked by costly mistakes that often resulted in goals. His starting spot came under pressure when he wasn’t named No 1 at the beginning of the season, and Ruben Amorim brought in Senne Lammens late in the window.
However, The Sun reports that Onana is “feeling the love” in Turkey, which is helping him get back to his best. Those close to him admit he was mentally drained after two demanding seasons.
The former Inter Milan shot-stopper is now more at ease and has regained his self-belief at Trabzonspor, who currently sit second in the Turkish league behind reigning champions Galatasaray. The club is now considering a permanent deal.
Despite this, Onana’s goal remains a return to Manchester, where he hopes to reclaim his role as No 1.
He privately acknowledges his struggles at United, even though he often defended his performances and statistics, despite being dropped by Amorim last season.
His final outing for the Premier League side came in a penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup.
That loss at Blundell Park stands out as one of the lowest moments, with Onana committing another error and failing to save any penalties.
Amorim admitted that a fresh start was necessary for everyone involved. He said: “We saw Andre had a very, very good season at Inter. The quality is there. But we are in the club and sometimes, in the moment, things can get harder and harder.
“You can be really experienced but in this club, the pressure is sometimes so hard on every detail.
“I think we understood that this needed a change. Sometimes it’s hard to point why. It’s the performance, the moments. The bad luck in some moments was hard on him, was hard on us. Our thinking is to have a change in the goalkeepers.”
Leave a Reply