Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen believes current boss Ruben Amorim must make a big call on goalkeeper Andre Onana.
There are question marks around Onana’s time at Old Trafford after successive underwhelming campaigns in England.
The Red Devils have been linked to Paris Saint-Germain ace Gianluigi Donnarumma and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, but nothing has materialised.
Meulensteen, who knows Onana well from the Dutch League, posits that Man United and the Cameroon international will face similar defensive issues in front of his goal next season.
However, Meulensteen is not a fan of the chopping and changing, backing Amorim to stick with Onana, at least for now.
Meulensteen said (via Manchester United News): “He was never really exposed at Ajax and arrived at Old Trafford on the back of a good season with Inter Milan. He’s had to deal with different threats at United.
“I’m not sure whether the issues in front of Onana will go away next season, so (Ruben) Amorim has a big call to make. Maintaining some stability might be preferable rather than constantly changing.
“I think we’ll see the same kind of performances from Onana if he stays. He’ll show excellent reflexes and make big saves, but will also have some questionable moments.
“That led to United conceding goals last year and may be a problem again this season.”
Manchester United need a new, reliable goalkeeper to back up Onana
Onana came under fire after making three errors that led to goals in the league last term. He was ranked 11th for goals prevented amongst Premier League goalkeepers.
Man United need a dependable presence between the sticks. This summer is an opportunity to fill the gap.
The Red Devils do not need to spend too much to find a reliable goalkeeper to cover for Onana.
The market is filled with options that can adeptly replace back-up option Altay Bayindir, who has also been underwhelming.
One solution could be AS Roma’s Mile Svilar, who quietly delivered an outstanding season in Serie A.
The 24-year-old posted a league-high 77% save percentage among goalkeepers with over 10 appearances and kept 16 clean sheets, the joint-most in the division.
His 7.5 goals prevented (based on expected goals on target) was the second-best in the league, behind only Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.
With youth on his side and sharp reflexes to match, Svilar represents a smart, cost-effective option who could push Onana competitively and step up without destabilising the team financially.
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