Manchester United have been told that they are stuck with Andre Onana, with there no "video game" transfer option for the under-fire goalkeeper.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Keeper signed for big money in 2023Time in England littered with costly errorsStruggling Red Devils urged to keep faithFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Questions continue to be asked of whether Onana is the right option for underperforming Premier League heavyweights at Old Trafford. The errors of his debut campaign in England have been replicated during a difficult second season with the Red Devils.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
United are languishing 16th in the top-flight table, with continental action off the agenda for 2025-26 after suffering defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final. It has been suggested that every player in Ruben Amorim’s squad is now up for sale.
DID YOU KNOW?
There have been suggestions that United could target a new No.1, as Onana is potentially moved on, but Wes Brown believes faith has to be shown in the Cameroon international as finding a buyer and identifying a replacement will not be easy.
GettyWHAT WES BROWN SAID
Quizzed by on whether United need to stick with Onana, former Red Devils defender Brown said: "Yeah, I think you have to. Listen, he's made some mistakes this season and you don't want that from a goalkeeper. But at the same time, I feel sometimes the pressure has been immense. Maybe he's not handled it the best way, but at the same time, he still comes back, the manager still puts him in.
"Plus, I don't think he can just sell somebody like that anyway. These players cost a lot of money. Fans need to understand, it’s not like a video game where you press one button and the player is sold. There's a lot of factors. And I get these questions. I mean, we all do. I have talks with my mates all the time and they’ll say ‘yeah, you should do this’. But it doesn't work like that. I get what they’re saying, but it actually doesn't work like that.
"So, yeah, he will be there next season and you can just hope he steps up and that's all you can do. Because if he does, then all this talk goes out the window. It's as simple as that. But you do have to give the lads some support, if they have had some bad games, you need to let them see that they’re still good enough, even after a bad game. Otherwise, it only gets worse.
"But you definitely also have to trust going forward that he's going to give more, he's going to get better and be more consistent, because he's a great shot stopper at times. He's let in some silly goals. I think everyone admits that, but I think you need to give him the chance.
"Next season as we go forward, obviously there'll be new players there as well, and then it's up to him. At times it’s been rough, but it's the case for every player this season. At times, they’ve not been good enough. You can see it all over the pitch sometimes, and the standard needs to raise a little bit."