- Altay Bayindir has only played one game since arriving from Fenerbahce
- Erik ten Hag has favored Andre Onana in almost every United game this season
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Manchester United’s forgotten man Altay Bayindir is said to be Galatasaray’s top goalkeeper target this summer.
The Turkey international, 25, was signed by Erik ten Hag for £4.3m last summer as a back-up to Andre Onana, but has only played one game so far.
That happened against Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round when Onana was away with Cameroon in the African Cup of Nations.
Ten Hag has chosen Onana in goal for every other game United have played this season and reports in Bayindir’s native Turkey suggest his stay at Old Trafford could be brief.
Media aspor Galatasaray, the fierce rivals of Bayindir’s former club Fenerbahce, are said to want to sign him in the summer.
Altay Bayindir has only played one game for Manchester United since arriving last summer.
United manager Erik ten Hag has favored Andre Onana as his starting goalkeeper all season.
They say Bayindir wants to be at a club where he can play football regularly, something that doesn’t seem very likely at United.
Galatasaray’s veteran Uruguayan goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera, 37, is about to end his contract and could leave after 13 years at the club.
Aspor say Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk wants a Turkish goalkeeper next, especially because the club needs to reduce the number of foreign players in its squad from 14 to 12.
Bayindir might reasonably have expected more consistent football for United, but Ten Hag stuck with Onana in every league and cup game when he was available.
He spent four seasons playing for Fenerbahce, so a move via Istanbul to Galatasaray just a year after leaving wouldn’t sit well with his former club.
The two clubs are fighting for the Super Lig title, with Galatasaray two points ahead of Fenerbahce at the top.
Onana only played one game for Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations (the 3-1 loss to Senegal in the group stage) before being benched.
Bayindir could have hoped to play more often and Galatasaray will reportedly offer him an escape option this summer.
The only game Onana missed this season was when he was away with Cameroon in the Africa Cup of Nations last month.
Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray has long been one of football’s fiercest rivalries, so Bayindir swapping one for the other within a year would be controversial.
They were eliminated in the round of 16 after a 2-0 defeat to Nigeria and Onana returned to play in United’s 4-3 win over Wolves, having been out for less than a fortnight.
He later featured in victories over West Ham and Aston Villa that revitalized United’s bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Ten Hag’s men travel to Luton Town on Sunday.
