André Onana is on the verge of returning to Trabzonspor on a loan deal, with sources indicating the agreement is approximately 90 percent complete — though no option to buy has been included in the terms.

The Cameroonian goalkeeper spent last season at the Turkish club after Manchester United sent him out on loan following a shocking EFL Cup defeat on penalties to League Two side Grimsby at Blundell Park in August. That penalty shootout loss proved to be Onana's only appearance in a United shirt throughout the entire campaign.

Cup glory and a contract situation

Onana made 29 appearances for Trabzonspor during the loan spell and played a role as the club claimed the Turkish Cup — their first such triumph since 2020.

The 30-year-old joined United from Inter Milan in 2023 for £47.2 million and still has two years remaining on his contract at Old Trafford. He had been due to report back for pre-season training on 9 July, but any prospect of reclaiming first-choice status was always remote.

Head coach Michael Carrick has settled on Senne Lammens as his preferred goalkeeper, leaving Onana without a realistic path into the starting XI. With Lammens currently away on international duty with Belgium at the World Cup, United's goalkeeping situation has become an area of concern ahead of pre-season.

Goalkeeping cover a pressing issue

Second-choice keeper Altay Bayindir's future at the club remains uncertain, while young goalkeeper Radek Vitek is seeking a move of his own before pre-season gets under way. That leaves Carrick potentially relying on a group of inexperienced shot-stoppers, alongside veteran Tom Heaton, when United face Wrexham in Helsinki on 17 July in their opening pre-season friendly.

Resolving Onana's situation would at least simplify the goalkeeping picture, even if significant questions remain about how Carrick intends to shape his squad for the season ahead.