END OF AN ERA: “Manchester United Betrayed Me” – Onana
When André Onana walked into Old Trafford in the summer of 2023, he believed he was stepping into the role of Manchester United’s new guardian for the next decade. Signed from Inter Milan for nearly £47 million, he arrived with Champions League pedigree, experience under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, and the swagger of a modern-day goalkeeper. To many, he was the man destined to replace David de Gea and usher in a bold new era.
Fast forward just over a year, and Onana’s departure on loan to Trabzonspor feels like a bitter divorce. In whispers and reports close to his camp, one phrase keeps surfacing: “Manchester United betrayed me.”
—
A Keeper’s Dream Turned Sour
For Onana, the move to Manchester United was more than just another transfer. It was the culmination of years of hard work — from his beginnings at Barcelona’s famed La Masia, to becoming Ajax’s number one, to standing tall in a Champions League final with Inter Milan. United was supposed to be the pinnacle, the stage where he would etch his name alongside Schmeichel, van der Sar, and De Gea.
Instead, what he found was chaos: a fractured squad, an unsteady backline riddled with injuries, and a constant spotlight of criticism from the English media. The goalkeeper who was once hailed as one of Europe’s finest suddenly became the scapegoat for every defensive lapse.
“People don’t understand,” one source close to Onana reportedly said, “he was asked to be a leader in a team that was falling apart around him. And when the results didn’t come, the blame always fell on him.”
—
The Weight of Expectation
Onana’s start at United was brutal. A glaring error against Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage set the tone. More mistakes followed — against Galatasaray, against Nottingham Forest, against Copenhagen. The scrutiny was merciless. Pundits questioned his composure, fans groaned at every misplaced pass, and social media turned him into a meme factory.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy in England,” Onana once admitted. “But I didn’t expect the pressure to be this intense.”
For many keepers, adapting to the Premier League takes time. Even De Gea struggled in his early seasons. But United’s situation was different — patience was thin, expectations sky-high, and the margin for error nonexistent.
—
The Sense of Betrayal
From Onana’s perspective, what stings the most is how quickly the club moved on from him. After only one full season, United sanctioned a loan deal to Trabzonspor with no fee, no buy option, and no clear pathway back into the first team.
To him, it feels like abandonment.
“Manchester United betrayed me,” he is believed to have confided to close friends. “They brought me here to be their number one, then gave up on me at the first sign of struggle. Where was the trust? Where was the belief?”
Onana is not blind to his mistakes. He knows he underperformed. But in his mind, goalkeepers are only as strong as the team in front of them. With United’s defence decimated by injuries, he was exposed time and again. Yet instead of building around him, the club shifted blame onto his shoulders.
—
Amorim’s Ruthless Call
The arrival of Rúben Amorim as manager sealed Onana’s fate. Amorim, tasked with restoring discipline and ambition at Old Trafford, quickly identified underperformers he deemed expendable. Onana was high on that list.
To Amorim, the decision was pragmatic: United needed a new backbone, and Onana wasn’t providing it. But to Onana, it felt like a betrayal of the faith he thought he had earned.
“Amorim didn’t even give him a fair chance,” one teammate reportedly said off the record. “He came in, saw the criticism, and made up his mind. Onana never stood a chance under him.”
—
End of an Era
For Onana, the loan to Trabzonspor represents more than just a career detour. It feels like the closing of a chapter he believed would define his legacy. “End of an era” is a phrase that usually applies to long-serving legends, but for Onana, it captures the end of a dream — the end of his belief that Manchester United would be his forever home.
At 28, he should be in his prime, defending the goalposts of one of the biggest clubs in the world. Instead, he finds himself in Turkey, rebuilding confidence and reputation.
—
A Different Reality
Yet there’s another side to this story. Some within United argue that Onana was given ample opportunities and failed to seize them. They point to his high-profile errors, his inconsistent communication with defenders, and his sometimes reckless risk-taking.
“United didn’t betray Onana,” one club insider reportedly said. “He betrayed himself with his performances. This is Manchester United — if you can’t handle the pressure, you don’t last.”
In this version of events, Amorim’s decision wasn’t personal; it was professional. United cannot afford sentiment when chasing greatness. Onana became a liability, and liabilities are not tolerated.
—
Life at Trabzonspor
For now, Onana must embrace his new surroundings. Trabzonspor may not have the global stature of Manchester United, but they offer him something Old Trafford could not: unconditional trust. He will be the undisputed number one, playing in front of one of the most passionate fan bases in Europe.
In Turkey, he has a chance to rebuild, to silence critics, and to remind the world why Inter Milan trusted him in a Champions League final just over a year ago. If he excels, he could return to United stronger. If not, his career at the elite level may never fully recover.
—
Legacy and Reflection
Whatever happens next, Onana’s time at Manchester United will be remembered as one of the club’s strangest goalkeeping experiments. Signed with great fanfare, burdened by expectation, undone by inconsistency, and discarded before he could truly settle.
For Onana, the word “betrayal” is not just about footballing decisions. It’s about broken promises, shattered dreams, and the feeling of being cast aside too soon.
—
Conclusion
The saga of André Onana at Manchester United is both cautionary and tragic. It is a reminder of how brutal elite football can be — how quickly a hero can become a villain, how fragile trust is in the modern game, and how merciless the spotlight of Old Trafford remains.
“Manchester United betrayed me,” Onana is said to believe. Perhaps he is right, perhaps not. But what is undeniable is that his story at the club, though short, was dramatic, divisive, and unforgettable.
For United, life goes on as they search for a new number one. For Onana, the task is to prove that his story is not defined by betrayal, but by redemption. Only time will tell if he can rewrite the ending.
Leave a Reply