It was evident by the end of yet another wild, exciting night in Europe for Manchester United that Galatasaray might not be the only Turkish team to benefit from Andre Onana’s mistakes in goal.

When Altay Bayindir transferred from Fenerbahce to United on September’s deadline day, he had to wait patiently for his opportunity. While Onana has participated in every game during his first season at Old Trafford, Bayindir has begun working in the relative seclusion of Carrington without making a debut for his new squad.

Though Onana was brought in to give real competition, the 6′ 6″ Turkey international is said to be anxious about losing his spot when he travels to the Africa Cup of Nations next month and might miss up to seven United games.

After yet another challenging Champions League night, it’s likely that Onana’s 25-year-old backup will be called up before then. Maybe for tomorrow’s crucial match at St. James’ Park versus Newcastle?

Although it’s unlikely, Bayindir’s chances of taking over in goal were enhanced when Onana gave up two stoppable free kicks from Hakim Ziyech as Galatasaray rallied to hold United 3-3 in Istanbul on Wednesday night. Erik ten Hag’s team is now in danger of losing the Champions League. 

They need to defeat Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the last group match, but they will still lose if Copenhagen defeats Galatasaray.

Ten Hag was asked about Bayindir and the competitiveness among his keepers, while he considered the most recent setback in Europe.

“Altay is adjusting to the Premier League and European football, which can be challenging for someone from Turkey,” the United boss remarked.

However, we are quite happy with that approach; he is performing admirably. He must exercise patience, but if he continues to work hard and make progress, he will eventually be given the opportunity, which he must seize.

“We are really happy with the group of goalkeepers.” Together, Andre, Altay, and Tom Heaton perform incredibly well. They push each other and put up good performances.

Not to mention that Ten Hag risked his own reputation and judgment by signing Onana in the summer, dropping him would be a big call.

After David de Gea smashed club records for appearances and clean sheets and won the Golden Glove award the previous season, the Dutchman decided to end his time at United. Based on Onana’s skill with the ball at his feet, he then offered Inter Milan £47.2 million to acquire the former Ajax keeper.

The main issue, though, is with what he does with his hands—a string of well-publicized missteps marred Onana’s early years in Manchester.

At the Istanbul final whistle, the 27-year-old played like a man in complete misery, yanking off his gloves and throwing them on the ground while yelling in exasperation.

He reacted similarly when United gave up the opening goal of their Champions League campaign at Bayern Munich in September by letting Leroy Sane’s attempt slip past him. They had lost 4-3 after having a strong start in Bavaria.

Then there was the Galatasaray home game, where Onana’s clumsy pass out earned Casemiro a penalty and a red card. In a 3-2 victory, Mauro Icardi scored late after missing the penalty kick.

Before Wednesday night, Onana’s form and confidence had been steadily increasing. He received high appreciation for his stoppage-time penalty save against Copenhagen at home, which gave United their sole victory in Europe this season.

While Onana is by no means to blame for every one of the 14 goals United have given up in their five Champions League games, the fact remains that Onana has committed more mistakes than any other goalie in the last six years, with seven of those blunders resulting in goals. 

The irony is that, before to joining United for £4.3 million and becoming the team’s first Turkish player, Bayindir was also criticized near the end of his time at Fenerbahce.

He lost the captaincy and the backing of some fans, raising questions about whether shoulder surgery in 2021 and a back hernia procedure earlier this year had harmed his performances. Though he was far less expensive than Onana, Bayindir is a more conventional keeper in the style of De Gea and will face similar scrutiny whenever he gets the chance.

Five months after his somewhat bad exit from United, De Gea is still unsigned and available, as some analysts deviously point out. Dean Henderson, the former England goalie, has also moved to Crystal Palace.

It seems more likely that Ten Hag will have to think about pulling Onana from the firing line when the time comes than if he would rather play himself in goal rather than re-sign De Gea.