Andre Onana is intent on reclaiming the No 1 spot at Manchester United, with his close friend revealing that ‘things weren’t right’ for the Cameroonian under Ruben Amorim.
Onana, 29, joined the Red Devils from Inter Milan in a £44million deal in July 2023, but inconsistent performances interspersed with a string of calamitous errors forced ex-boss Amorim to search for an alternative in last summer’s transfer market.
United landed Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18m, shifting Onana to Turkish side Trabzanspor on loan in the process.
The young Belgian has impressed during his debut campaign at Old Trafford, and his performance in Monday night’s 1-0 win at Everton earned him widespread praise – with Daily Mail Sport’s Chris Wheeler tipping him to be the club’s bedrock for another decade.
But with Amorim no longer at the club and United enjoying a new lease of life under interim boss Michael Carrick, Onana is seemingly up for the fight with his fellow stopper. A report in The Guardian this week claimed the 29-year-old is keen to return to United’s starting XI once his loan comes to an end in May.
And his countryman Geremi has shed light on Onana’s state of mind.
Andre Onana is eager to fight for his place in United’s starting XI when his loan spell ends
Speaking to Telecom Asia via The Sun, Geremi said: ‘Listen, I know Andre very well and during his time at United there were a lot of things that were not right.
‘It wasn’t just him. And believe me, with the arrival of Michael Carrick, things are looking good for everyone, including him.
‘He is clearly talented and his gifts are rare. The next thing is for him to go back there and fight for his spot.
‘Andre has always excelled when faced with a challenge. He thrives when he’s given a fair chance to prove himself.’
The former Chelsea star added that football’s biggest clubs need big characters, and says Andre needs that same mentality to thrive at United.
He said: ‘In my career I enjoyed playing in teams with big ambitions and big personalities.
‘If I had a few bad games, there was always someone knocking on the manager’s door asking for a chance.
‘That meant I had to stand up, be counted and not walk away.
His replacement, Senne Lammens, has seriously impressed since joining the Red Devils
‘But that is for Andre to decide.’
Should Carrick stay at the club beyond this season, Onana will have to seriously impress to dislodge Lammens from the team.
After the Everton win, Carrick said of the Belgian: ‘You want a goalkeeper to be reliable, trustworthy and, instead of creating the chaos, you want him to take the chaos away and calm things down.
‘I think Senne is that. He’s quite quiet at times and unassuming but he’s got a real steeliness. To step in, it’s a big role – for some.’