Manchester United news: Van der Sar explains why 'tremendous' Onana flopped at Old Trafford

Edwin van der Sar does not hide his bewilderment when revisiting Andre Onana's turbulent spell at Manchester United.

During his time as Ajax CEO, the Dutchman closely followed the Cameroonian goalkeeper's rise and insists his conviction about success at Old Trafford was total – precisely because of what the player had shown in the Netherlands and later in Italy.

Even so, his time at the English giants turned into a period marked by instability, criticism and loss of confidence. Onana arrived at United after excelling at Inter Milan, where he was the starter in a campaign that culminated in a Champions League final.

The technical package – refined footwork, quick reflexes and the personality to play high – seemed aligned with the idea of rebuilding the team.

However, isolated errors at decisive moments undermined the perception of security expected of a goalkeeper at a club under constant pressure, accelerating the erosion of his status.

"I worked with Andre Onana for three or four years at Ajax," Van der Sar told The Overlap. "He came in as a third-choice goalkeeper and was very eager to step up and become the first choice. I thought, and I still think, that he has tremendous qualities – reflexes and his feet – but somehow, he has the odd mistake in him that makes you think 'That is crazy, how can he do that'."

What happened to Onana at United?

For Van der Sar, the problem cannot be separated from the broader context at United in recent years. Frequent managerial changes, rotations in the defensive line and collective performance fluctuations created an environment that was not conducive to the consolidation of new names.

In a scenario of maximum expectations and little continuity, the margin for error for a goalkeeper – a naturally exposed position – becomes minimal.

"A team wants stability, to know what your goalkeeper is doing so the back four can relate and I think that is what happened [the issue] with Andre," he explained.

"Manchester United have not had stability for the last six or seven years – the back four changing, the centre-halves and midfielders changing, coaches changing – so, it is difficult for new players to come into an environment where the expectations are high, not only for goalkeepers but also for a winger or midfielder. A lot of players who have come here in the last eight or nine years have not reached the level that people expected them to reach.

""I absolutely thought that he would succeed"

"I absolutely thought that he would succeed when he first came here to United. As I said, I worked with him and saw him at Ajax, he did well in Italy and played in a Champions League final, so I thought it was a match made in heaven."

The move to Trabzonspor in Turkey emerges as an attempt at a fresh start after losing his place in Manchester. The loan does not include an option to buy, but a permanent separation is expected.

So far, his numbers in the Turkish Super Lig reflect an irregular adaptation: 21 matches, 32 goals conceded and only four clean sheets, while the club sit in third place, seven points behind leaders Galatasaray.

At United, the succession in goal has already begun to take shape with the signing of Senne Lammens, who has taken over the position and is making an immediate positive impact in his debut season.

The contrast reinforces the feeling that the marriage between Onana and Old Trafford never found enough stability to prosper – something that, for Van der Sar, remains difficult to explain given the talent the goalkeeper has demonstrated throughout his career.