Man Utd: 7 goalkeepers Erik Ten Hag thought about signing instead of Andre Onana | OneFootball

Play Video

It wouldn’t be unfair to brand Andre Onana’s start at Manchester United an underwhelming, often calamitous introduction to life at Old Trafford. The Cameroonian was brought in during the summer for £47 million, making him the third-most expensive goalkeeper of all time. Having starred in the 2022/2023 Champions League Final for Inter Milan, Onana had evidently impressed Erik ten Hag with his distribution skills, and capacity to shot-stop.

United's Dutch manager already had the benefit of managing the goalkeeper before while at Ajax, and therefore, possessed a comprehensive understanding of the player's strengths. Starring in every game for the Red Devils this season, Onana has already charted several errors leading to goals, including in games against both Bayern Munich and most recently at home against Galatasaray in one of the biggest Champions League upsets ever. As the Cameroon international hasn't been instilling confidence in his teammates of late, questions have been raised over who else could have been brought in instead of the former Inter Milan star. We take a look at some of those options below...

Kevin Trapp

Top class goalkeepers are few and far between, but in some cases the obvious choices are staring you right in the face. That seems to be an applicable way of describing 6’2 shot-stopper, Kevin Trapp. The Germany international has always been perennially underrated, having been sold back to Eintracht Frankfurt from Paris Saint Germain in 2019 for a bargain.

Having made over 511 career appearances, Trapp’s steadfast, calming presence in goal could well have been a welcome addition to a United side who have the propensity to ship their fair share of goals. With 155 professional clean sheets, the 33-year-old may not have been the long-term solution to United’s goalkeeping crisis, but very much like club legend, Edwin van der Saar was, he could have been a solid building block and foundation for the Red Devils to erect a promising young side from. The Europa League winner was linked with a move to Manchester at the start of the summer window, although it appears talks didn’t even get out of first gear.

Wojciech Szczesny

The ex-Arsenal favourite has been playing his football in Serie A for the past six years, and has remained the Old Lady’s first choice goalkeeper. The Polish star, now 33, was repeatedly linked with a surprise move to Manchester during the summer. Having totalled 91 clean sheets while playing for Juve, the seasoned veteran is all too familiar with the Premier League and could have acclimatised almost immediately.

Justin Bijlow

Feyenoord enjoyed a stellar 2022-2023 campaign, clinching the Eredivisie title for the first time in six years. Goalkeeper, Justin Bijlow was the main man between the sticks when the Dutch giants reclaimed the league’s crown. Keeping the third most clean sheets in the league, and ranking second for fewest goals conceded, Bijlow was paramount to Arne Slot’s side’s title triumph. At just 25-years-old, the Dutch international has already amassed a healthy amount of game time which is arguably far greater than many a 25-year-old ‘keeper will have experienced.

Having been Feyenoord’s number one for several seasons, Bijlow has made an impressive 121 appearances for the club, with 46 of those games ending in shut-outs. Predictably, as a goalkeeper who fits the Erik ten Hag demographic of being good with his feet, and extremely competent at playing it out from the back, as well as potential number of years left at the highest level being on his side, Manchester United were linked during the summer months. According to reports the Netherlands’ future number one would have loved to join the club, but wasn’t prepared to force a move.

Diogo Costa

Porto have established themselves as one of the greatest selling clubs in the world, continuously producing bags of remarkable talent, and Portuguese net-minder, Diogo Costa is just another name that has been churned out of the club’s prestigious youth system. The 24-year-old Portugal international has been on the side’s books since the age of 12, establishing himself as the Porto's number one at the age of just 21.

With 119 appearances under his belt, and 48 clean sheets, Costa has demonstrated he’s a dependable figure between the posts. Costa was one of the early front-runners for replacing David De Gea, with reports suggesting that United were lining him up for a move. However, no deal materialised.

Yann Sommer

Another exceptional goalkeeping talent linked with a move to Old Trafford during the transfer window was then-Bayern Munich’s Yann Sommer. The Swiss shot-stopper, formerly of Borussia Mönchengladbach, was brought in to bolster the Bavarians' goalkeeping department, and bolster he did by covering for the injured Manuel Neuer. United were actually targeting Sommer as a backup to Onana, but perhaps they should've considered him as an alternative instead, having already kept six clean sheets from nine appearances for Inter, while conceding just four goals.

Djordje Petrovic

Perhaps the most left field out of those shortlisted by Erik ten Hag and the Manchester United hierarchy, the towering, 6’4 shot-stopper Djordje Petrovic. The Serbia international is just 23 years old, and had been plying his trade in the MLS with New England Revolution. Turning out on 48 occasions for the North Americans, Petrovic was certainly a player United had lined up for the future.

Possessing limited experience, but displaying bags of potential, Petrovic had impressed last term, representing the club 25 times and recording eight clean sheets. United were purportedly in for the player, who would subsequently seal a move to Chelsea to join the Boehly revolution for £14 million. The big Serb is yet to play a game for the West Londoners, with Robert Sanchez preferred as first choice.

David Raya

Things could have panned out very differently for Spaniard, David Raya. The former Brentford goalkeeper, like several of his teammates, has been heavily lauded over the last few seasons while playing for Thomas Frank’s Bees. Raya made the most saves in the top flight last term, tallying 154, and played a helping hand in Brentford’s club-record ninth place finish.

Despite being touted as more of a distant possibility to replace the outgoing David De Gea, Raya was reportedly a ‘keeper who had very much caught the eye at the Theatre of Dreams, although Manchester United were put off by the £40 million price tag demanded. Now Mikel Arteta’s new number one at the Emirates, Raya would eventually get his big move, signing on a season-long £3 million loan deal with a £27 million option to buy next summer.

Goalkeeping Stats - correct as of 06/10/2023