After an outstanding 2022 World Cup campaign, Manchester United thought they had found their long-term goalkeeper and thought André Onana was ready to take on a huge responsibility. The initial impact was excellent with great saves and decisive moments weighing in the goalkeeper's favor.
However, there was a considerable decline alternating with only a few moments of slight upswing in 2023/24, but the 2024/25 season turned out to be a bad one for the club and for the goalkeeper, who failed to react and saw his quality decline considerably. The positional error in the goal that gave Tottenham the Europa League title seems to have been the end of it.
The latest reports indicate that Manchester United are ready to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper, and Mike Maignan is the first name to appear on the Red Devils' priority list. At 29, the Milan goalkeeper is one of the players whose contract is close to expiring, allowing the Italians to bring forward his departure by a year.
Maignan could contribute a lot more to Manchester United
Maignan's main quality is his long passes on breakaways, allowing Rúben Amorim to exploit more moves than just short passes. In addition, Maignan is still competent enough to leave the penalty area at the right times to make good tackles. That's why the addition of a reliable goalkeeper would be essential if Manchester United are to aim for a much better season, which will consist of an attempt at a fresh start both on and off the pitch.
Even with the financial limitation to spend on reinforcements (and with many employees being fired in the face of one of the worst seasons in their history), Rúben Amorim will need a new goalkeeper decisively, as it is no longer possible to count on André Onana, a goalkeeper who has felt the pressure of playing for the Red Devils.