Altay Bayindir has moved to Manchester United since September last year but he has not yet made a debut for the Old Trafford team.
The number 1 goalkeeper of the Turkish team left Fenerbahce to join Erik ten Hag’s team on a contract worth 5 million euros to serve as a backup plan for Andre Onana. Since then, this 25-year-old guard has been waiting patiently for his chance to play.
However, Altay Bayindir is expected to make his debut for Man United fans when they travel to visit Newport County in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend. Cameroon’s surprise qualification to the next round of the Africa Cup of Nations means that Onana will be absent for the foreseeable future.
This will be a rare opportunity for the Turkish goalkeeper to prove his ability to win Ten Hag’s trust, because after all, Onana has never brought peace of mind to the Red Devils since he came here under a contract worth up to 50.2 million euros.
However, the pressure will therefore be huge on Altay Bayindir. Newport is playing in League Two, and is completely small next to Manchester United, but with all their pride, they will fight with all their might to find an unexpected result against the giants of the Premier League.
The lack of playing time could lead to an unsatisfactory performance for this goalkeeper in the next match, but he must find a way to overcome those difficulties and pressure, just like what he did in the past. when I was very young.
Back in 2018, Bayindir struggled to break into the first team of club Ankaragucu. He made his Turkish national championship debut in November that year, and his consistent performances and ability to control the goal caught Fenerbahce’s eye.
In July 2019, Fenerbahce bet on Bayindir by spending 1.5 million euros to bring him to Ulker Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. Despite being very young and not having much experience, he was immediately chosen as the club’s number 1 goalkeeper.
During 3 years playing for Fenerbahce, Bayindir only conceded an average of 1.19 goals per match, the 5th lowest in Super Lig. It was this performance and his great potential that made many big names in the Premier League pay attention, among them Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Newcastle.
In the end, Manchester United was the side that won the race to own this 1.98m tall goalkeeper. Although there are still many things to improve, such as the ability to distribute the ball or the ability to hold the ball in the penalty area, Ten Hag will likely not hesitate to give him a chance in the FA Cup arena.