André Onana: “My Record Speaks for Itself – That’s Why I’m Not Coming Back”
When André Onana arrived at Manchester United in the summer of 2023, he was billed as the modern goalkeeper who would redefine the way the club built from the back. Signed for close to £47 million from Inter Milan, he was meant to be the man who gave United confidence between the posts after the departure of David de Gea.
Now, after 102 matches in red, Onana’s Manchester United story has ended not with glory but with a blunt assessment from the player himself: “My record speaks for itself – that’s why I’m not coming back.”
The numbers tell a tale of struggle, fleeting success, and ultimately disappointment.
102 matches played 🥅
24 clean sheets
150 goals conceded ⚽️
18 unforced errors leading directly to goals 😵
Onana is not shying away from these statistics. Instead, he points to them as the ultimate proof of why his chapter at Old Trafford has closed for good.
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The Weight of Expectation
From day one, the Cameroonian was under intense scrutiny. Replacing a club legend like David de Gea was never going to be easy, but Onana’s confidence with the ball at his feet was supposed to transform United’s play.
Yet, the honeymoon period didn’t last long. Costly mistakes in the Champions League — most notably against Bayern Munich and Galatasaray — amplified doubts. In the Premier League, he looked shaky, misjudging crosses and struggling to command his area. Each mistake was magnified tenfold by pundits, fans, and social media.
By the time Rúben Amorim arrived to reshape the squad, Onana’s reputation was already hanging by a thread. The manager sanctioned his loan move away without hesitation.
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A Record Under the Microscope
Onana’s blunt self-assessment is backed by cold numbers:
102 matches, 150 goals conceded: That averages nearly 1.5 goals per game. For a club of United’s stature, those figures are simply unsustainable. Elite goalkeepers are expected to inspire confidence, to be the difference in tight games. Instead, United too often found themselves chasing after avoidable concessions.
24 clean sheets: While this number isn’t disastrous, it pales compared to contemporaries at rival clubs. Manchester City’s Ederson and Liverpool’s Alisson routinely hit higher marks in fewer appearances. For Onana, clean sheets felt like rare victories rather than routine results.
18 unforced errors leading to goals: Perhaps the most damning statistic. These were not just unlucky breaks or defensive collapses — they were mistakes directly attributable to Onana himself. Goalkeepers can survive conceding goals if they are blameless; they cannot survive being the cause.
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The Feeling of Betrayal
Onana’s words — “my record speaks for itself” — carry a tone of resignation. He isn’t fighting for redemption at United. He isn’t pleading for another chance. Instead, he has accepted that his legacy in Manchester is written in ink, not pencil.
In his view, the relationship between him and the club was broken not just by his performances but by how quickly United distanced themselves from him. Once the errors mounted, the faith evaporated. Fans booed, pundits ridiculed him, and ultimately Amorim chose to exile him.
For Onana, that was the final betrayal. He believes the numbers are the reason the club abandoned him — and the reason he will never return.
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A Goalkeeper’s Mental Battle
More than most positions in football, goalkeepers live and die by their errors. A striker can miss five chances and still be hailed for scoring one winner. A keeper can make nine saves but be crucified for one slip. Onana lived this brutal reality every week at United.
By the end of his stay, his body language betrayed a man struggling with confidence. Every backpass seemed heavy with tension, every routine save looked nervy. The player who had starred for Ajax and Inter Milan was unrecognizable.
“England was different,” he reportedly told friends. “The pressure was constant. One mistake and you’re destroyed for weeks.”
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Why He’s Not Coming Back
Onana’s decision to draw a line under his United career stems from more than statistics. It’s also about respect and self-preservation.
Respect: He feels the club didn’t protect him when criticism became overwhelming. Once Amorim arrived, there was no attempt at rehabilitation, only a swift exit.
Self-preservation: At 28, Onana knows he still has years left in the game. Staying at a club where he’s viewed as a liability would only further damage his career.
Closure: By saying “my record speaks for itself,” he acknowledges failure but also signals he’s done explaining or defending himself. His numbers are his truth.
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Lessons for Manchester United
Onana’s story is not just about him — it’s also a reflection of United’s struggles with recruitment and identity.
The club spent nearly £50 million on a goalkeeper who didn’t suit the demands of the Premier League.
The defensive structure in front of him often left him exposed, compounding his mistakes.
United’s culture of impatience ensured that once the tide turned against him, there was no way back.
If anything, Onana’s turbulent spell is a cautionary tale for United about the cost of gambling on big-money signings without fully understanding how they will adapt.
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Life After Old Trafford
Now at Trabzonspor, Onana has a chance to rebuild. The Turkish Süper Lig is competitive, but the scrutiny is far less vicious than in England. There, he will be welcomed as a marquee signing, trusted as the first-choice goalkeeper, and given space to recover his confidence.
For United, meanwhile, the search for a reliable, commanding No.1 continues. Rumors swirl about Diogo Costa, Anatoliy Trubin, or even a return for Dean Henderson. Whoever takes the job will do so knowing that Amorim demands consistency above all else.
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The Harsh Reality of Football
Onana’s departure underlines the ruthless nature of modern football. A player once celebrated as one of Europe’s finest keepers is now discarded after just 102 matches. His errors defined him more than his saves, and his legacy at United is more about frustration than triumph.
“Manchester United betrayed me” was his earlier lament. Now, with his latest words, he has chosen a different form of closure: “My record speaks for itself — that’s why I’m not coming back.”
It is a brutally honest self-epitaph, one that acknowledges both his shortcomings and the broken relationship with a club he once dreamed of leading.
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Conclusion
André Onana’s Manchester United story is over. In just over a season, he went from celebrated arrival to maligned exile. His 102 matches yielded 24 clean sheets, 150 goals conceded, and 18 glaring mistakes. The numbers don’t lie — and neither does his assessment.
For United, it is a reminder that the road back to greatness requires not just talent but resilience and the right mentality. For Onana, it is the end of a painful chapter and the beginning of a rebuilding journey elsewhere.
“My record speaks for itself,” he says. It does. And that is why, in his own words, he is not coming back.
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