Manchester, England — August 18, 2025 — Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has backed goalkeeper Altay Bayindir after his error led to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, insisting the club does not need to sign a new goalkeeper before the transfer window closes.
Bayindir, preferred over André Onana at Old Trafford, misjudged a Declan Rice corner that allowed Riccardo Calafiori to score the decisive goal. The Turkish international was chosen because Onana, recovering from a hamstring injury, missed the entirety of United’s preseason, though the Cameroon star had resumed full training last week.
Amorim’s defense of Bayindir
Facing questions about his goalkeeper choices in a tense post-match press conference, Amorim stood firm.
“I’m happy with the three goalkeepers,” Amorim said. “He [Bayindir] chooses to get the ball, but he’s getting pushed. That is my feeling when I see the play. He needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not push players. He chose to push, and the ball went past.”
The manager also clarified that Onana had not been “dropped,” but simply lacked the necessary sharpness to be rushed into a high-intensity clash.
“It’s not the case of dropping Onana,” Amorim explained. “He only had three sessions with the team. Tom [Heaton] and Bayindir worked very well in preseason.”
United show promise despite defeat
Despite the disappointing result, United enjoyed long stretches of dominance. Patrick Dorgu struck the post in the first half, while new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo forced strong saves from Arsenal keeper David Raya.
Amorim praised his squad’s performance and expressed optimism for the season ahead.
“We were the better team, but in the end we lost the game,” he said. “I’m proud of the work on the field. Today we showed we can win against any team in the Premier League, even a great side like Arsenal.”
Transfer window speculation intensifies
Amorim also fueled speculation about striker Rasmus Højlund’s future after the Danish forward was left out of the matchday squad. United’s new signing Benjamin Sesko made his debut from the bench, leading to questions about whether Højlund is set to depart before the September 1 deadline.
Serie A giants AC Milan have expressed interest, with their sporting director telling Mediaset: “Højlund is a good option for us. We are thinking about him, but in the transfer market you never know what could happen.”
Amorim admitted that competition up front is fierce.
“It’s a fight for places,” he said. “Rasmus has similar characteristics to Sesko, so we need to choose. We’ll see what happens in the market.”
Looking ahead
The defeat leaves Manchester United searching for their first points of the new campaign, but Amorim remains confident that his squad is prepared for the long season ahead. With goalkeeper debates, attacking reshuffles, and transfer rumors swirling, United’s early weeks promise to be eventful both on and off the pitch.