Cunha, Fernandes respond to Altay Bayindir’s message amid Man United exit rumours
Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes have responded to a new message from Altay Bayindir amid uncertainty around his future at Manchester United.
Man United’s goalkeeping woes were clear for all to see last season, as first-choice stopper Andre Onana struggled to consistently impress in-between the sticks at Old Trafford, while back-up Bayindir was unable to grasp the opportunities handed to him to become number one.
The Turkish international kept just three clean sheets and conceded 18 goals in 10 appearances last term as the Red Devils failed to win any silverware, and Bayindir has been mooted as “likely” to leave the club this summer as a result.
Onana’s recent injury is not as bad as initially feared and he will be back fit next month, while former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson has told Football Insider that the Red Devils are doing all they can to sign Emi Martinez and Man United are reportedly targeting PSG star Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It therefore looks as if Bayindir will be the keeper to depart ahead of the new campaign as Amorim continues his squad overhaul, and he has sent a new message to supporters in the face of uncertainty around his future.
Bayindir shares message after Man United pre-season win
Despite being linked with an exit, Onana’s injury woes have seen Bayindir chosen as Amorim’s starting goalkeeper in pre-season so far, and he played the full 90 minutes of their 2-1 win over West Ham in New Jersey on Sunday (27 July).
The Turkish international posted a number of pictures of him in action to his Instagram feed after their victory on Sunday alongside the caption: “USA Premier League Summer Series (Manchester United)” with a star emoji.
His message was liked by Cunha, Fernandes, Onana, Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot and fellow exit-linked Red Devil, Rasmus Hojlund.
Bayindir exit may be on hold until Onana is fit
Football Insider verdict
Onana has not particularly impressed as the Red Devils’ first-choice keeper over the last two seasons, but his lack of strong competition has meant that both of the managers he has played under for United have had to hand him consistent chances to prove himself.
Turkish international Bayindir has been his back-up since his own arrival in 2023, and despite some promising signs, the fact he has not been able to consistently take the former Inter man’s place speaks to his lack of authority and quality.
| Player | Appearances | Goals conceded | Clean sheets |
| Onana | 101 | 148 | 24 |
| Bayindir | 11 | 20 | 3 |
The 27-year-old conceded four goals against Newcastle and Brentford respectively after Onana was dropped by Amorim towards the end of the last campaign, and even benefitted from a controversial final-day decision in their game against Aston Villa when Morgan Rogers was deemed to have fouled him before scoring.
The fact that United are looking to sign either Martinez or Donnarumma means that his future surely lies away from the club, but it does seem unlikely that he will leave imminently with Onana sidelined and veteran keeper Tom Heaton as his current competition in-between the sticks.
Instead, if the Red Devils do get a deal done for a new keeper and the Cameroonian international returns to action as planned in August, then Bayindir could find himself on his way out late on in the transfer window, rather than in the next two weeks.