Just when it looked as though Manchester United had turned a corner they were handed a harsh wake-up call on the weekend. Brighton & Hove Albion came to Old Trafford and inevitably handed the Reds defeat with a 3-1 victory to pile pressure on Ruben Amorim.
The Red Devils are fine gearing themselves up for clashes with Liverpool (2-2 draw) and Arsenal (5-3 win on penalties) but when it comes to a mid-table battling team, it's a case of the same old story. The team were the victims of their own demise, namely Andre Onana.
The Cameroonian goalkeeper made an impressive start to the season that had many believing he was back to his Inter Milan best. Signed from the Serie A giants in July 2023 for £47.2 million, per BBC Sport, he has failed to become the David de Gea replacement we so desperately needed.
Andre Onana's Horror Show Vs Brighton
Onana, 28, has a habit of making mistakes and that was the case at Old Trafford on Sunday (January 19). The Reds were searching for an equalizer 2-1 down but when Brighton raced forward and Yasin Ayari's low-driven cross should have been collected by the goalkeeper.
He fumbled the ball and allowed Georginio Rutter to pounce and fire in the Seagulls' third. It was utter embarrassment for Onana who is simply too mistake-prone to continue being Amorim's number one.
This isn't the only error he's made this season as he put in a shocking performance in a 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in early December. We let him get away with continuous blunders last season as we understood the pressure of just arriving at United and replacing club-legend De Gea.
Yet, we are halfway through his second season and he's still looking clumsy and nervy. Amorim needs a commanding goalkeeper who can be trusted by his defence.
Manchester United Should Consider Selling Onana
There's little chance Onana will want to stay at Manchester United if he's made an understudy. The summer transfer window looks likely to be a major overhaul of Amorim's squad and he should make way.
The club may be able to make a reasonable fee from his sale, given he has over three years left on his contract. He's also sitting on £110,000 per week which, as we know, INEOS are trying to balance the books amid the expectation highest-earner Marcus Rashford departs. If you aren't playing well, you could be in for a sale.
Who Do Manchester United Replace Onana With?
Manchester United have been linked with Zion Suzuki who was on their radar two summers ago. The Japanese shot-stopper didn't want to play second-fiddle to Onana. The Parma goalkeeper could cost around £40 million.
Altay Bayindir impressed against Arsenal in the FA Cup but doesn't look to be a first-choice option. It's a difficult situation but his performance against the Gunners was arguably the team's best goalkeeping performance this season.