Andre Onana, brought in to fill the void left by David De Gea, has encountered a series of nightmarish outings in a Manchester United jersey, casting doubts on his suitability for the role.

Andre Onana’s high-profile £47 million transfer from Inter to Manchester United during the summer marked a significant milestone for manager Erik ten Hag. It was the first time since the era of Sir Alex Ferguson that the Red Devils secured the services of a player considered the best in the world in their respective position, fending off stiff competition from other top clubs.

Under Ten Hag’s stewardship, United enjoyed a successful debut season, winning the Carabao Cup and finishing third in the Premier League. By the end of that campaign, it had become evident that De Gea’s time at Old Trafford was drawing to a close. The manager made the tough decision to part ways with the Spanish goalkeeper, viewing Onana as the ideal successor—a crucial addition to a squad aspiring to challenge for the title.

However, after just three months donning the Manchester United jersey, the Cameroonian shot-stopper has demonstrated little improvement over his predecessor, committing numerous glaring errors in goal. Onana has conceded a total of 18 goals in the Red Devils’ first 10 matches across all competitions this season, with six losses to their name.

To his credit, Onana has been forthright in admitting that he has not met the required standard at United. He publicly apologized for letting down the team following a match against Bayern, stating to TNT Sports, “To be honest, my start in Manchester was not what I would have liked. It was a difficult time.” In an interview with TV 2 Sport in September, Onana sought to relieve some of the burden from his teammates, saying, “When we concede a goal, the responsibility lies with Andre Onana. My teammates are putting in hard work. If they need to point fingers, they should point them at me because I am the goalkeeper.”

This level of self-awareness bodes well for Onana’s ability to gain the trust of United’s fan base. During a pre-season friendly with Harry Maguire, Onana demonstrated that he can be a vocal leader when necessary, chastising Maguire for a loose pass in a match against Borussia Dortmund.

“I demand a lot from my teammates because they also demand a lot from me. They believe in me,” he remarked to MUTV after the game. “They pass a lot of balls my way, so I need to offer motivation, and I want my teammates to do the same for me to boost my confidence.”

However, time is a luxury not afforded to individuals plying their trade at the world’s biggest clubs. If Onana’s struggles persist in the coming weeks, it could spell disaster for Manchester United’s season. Their hopes of competing for the league title appear to be dwindling, and a top-four finish would be even further out of reach if not for Ten Hag’s ability to engineer a swift turnaround in fortunes. Currently, United seems far from the level of Europe’s elite teams. This was true even during De Gea’s tenure, and Onana is yet to demonstrate that he is anything more than a like-for-like replacement.