Erik ten Hag with his new signing, Alkay Bayindir. (Credit: Twitter)
The young Turk has been brought in to compete with Andre Onana for the No.1 spot and will replace recently departed player Dean Henderson, who left Manchester United for Crystal Palace seeking a starting spot in the team.
It seems like the Dean Henderson dilemma has finally come to an end for Manchester United on deadline day as the Red Devils recently announced that they have signed Turkish keeper Alkay Bayindir from Fenerbahce in a deal worth a reported 4.3 million pounds.
Bayindir agreed a four-year contract with the Premier League club, who have the option of a further 12 month extension.
The young Turk has been brought in to compete with Andre Onana for the No.1 spot and will replace recently departed player Dean Henderson, who left Manchester United for Crystal Palace seeking a starting spot in the team.
United’s goalkeeping squadron has undergone a total overhaul as both Henderson and veteran keeper David De Gea parted ways with the club this summer.
Bayindir has established himself as the best young keeper in Turkey early on in his career and that tempted Fenerbahce to nab him from the market in 2019, when he was brought in to replace veteran keeper Harun Tekin, and excelled at his role.
But, a major cause of concern with the young keeper is his injury-prone nature. Bayindir incurred two major injuries — one to his shoulder, and one to his back hernia — which caused a major drop off in his performances last season. But, it seems like United boss Erik ten Hag is willing to invest in the youngster’s innate goalkeeping ability and to provide a fresh start for the Turk to relish and thrive under.
“It is a huge honour to join Manchester United and become the first Turkish player to represent this incredible club,” Bayindir told the club’s official website.
“I have a passion for success, and I will give everything to help this special group of players to achieve our ambitions. I cannot wait to start working with such an experienced goalkeeping unit. We will support each other and drive high standards every day so that each of us is ready to perform whenever called upon.”
United have already been off to a shaky start this season with various highs and lows being exposed on the field, especially in the midfield, but they will be hoping to find their groove and get going once the transfer deadline comes to an end. They will most definitely need it as United face a tough and long road ahead this season, even in the Champions League where they drew into a group with the likes of behemoths Bayern Munich, a returning Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen.
Bayindir may not be the only deadline-day signing for Manchester United. The club are also expected to sign Sergio Reguilon on loan from Tottenham and continue to be linked with a move for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.