Onana was at fault for both Lyon’s goals on Thursday night – Getty Images/Mustafa Yalcin
Ruben Amorim faces a serious dilemma this summer over his error-prone goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to Paul Scholes.
Scholes believes the Manchester United manager must decide whether to spend part of his transfer budget on a replacement or try to “survive” with Onana next season.
Onana committed his fifth error leading to a goal in the past five months – and eighth since joining United (see below) – to gift Lyon the lead in Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final, first leg. Scholes branded the first goal an “awful mistake” and Onana was also culpable in the French side’s 95th-minute equaliser.
LYON WITH A LATE GOAL! 💥
Andre Onana’s save is spilled into a dangerous area and Rayan Cherki makes no mistake ⚽
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/63a9d5BJs1
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 10, 2025
Asked if United need a new goalkeeper this summer, Scholes said: “I think it’s something they have to think of but you also have to think budget wise and where are the priorities in this team.
“Can you get away without spending money on a goalkeeper? Goalkeepers are a very important part of a football team, of course they are, and [Onana has] not been quite good enough.
“Maybe he needs a bit of competition as well. It’s quite clear the No 2 they have got, the Turkish lad [Altay Bayindir] probably isn’t good enough to step into his place.
“But it will come down to money and what he [Amorim] has got to spend – whether he thinks he needs more forwards, more midfield players and whether he can just save £30 million or £40 million on a goalkeeper and just try to survive with him [Onana].
“Because we have seen this goalkeeper is capable. At Ajax he was good. At Inter Milan he was good, especially with his feet. But this is another issue.
“He was brought to be a good footballer and that hasn’t quite happened. As well as conceding the goals, which is the most important thing, I don’t think his passing distribution from the back has been great.
“So there are a lot of problems for Ruben Amorim, he knows that, and he has a lot to solve.”
Amorim looks ‘disappointed with what he’s got’
Scholes says United are a “long way off” the level shown by Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League this week and claimed Amorim “doesn’t like” the team he is managing.
“I don’t think he likes his team to be honest, I think he knows he hasn’t got a great football team. I think he wants better. I think he needs better,” Scholes said.
“You can see that with the way he is on the touchline. He always looks disappointed to me. The way he is speaking … tells me he is disappointed with what he has got. Everyone knows he needs better if he is going to challenge and Man United are to be where they want to be. It’s all over the pitch.
“He can be quite pleased defensively. They have looked quite tight and solid recently but that has taken away that real goal threat they should have. That quality all around the pitch isn’t quite there. I don’t think they have control in the middle of the pitch. I don’t think the forward quality is quite there.
“He knows. He’s not stupid. He’s never going to say but he doesn’t like this football team. That is something I take away. I may be wrong but the impression I get is this team is nowhere near the standard that he wants and expects. It could take two to three years to get something a lot better, to get something a lot more enjoyable to watch, a lot more attacking, a lot more quality in every area of the pitch.”
Onana’s eight mistakes leading to goals at Man Utd
1. September 2023, vs Bayern Munich
André Onana has had a howler here 🫣
Leroy Sané’s effort slips under the Man Utd stopper’s gloves to give Bayern the lead…#UCLpic.twitter.com/GMErAGOBwE
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 20, 2023
2. November 2023, vs Galatasaray
“What on earth is the Man Utd goalkeeper doing there?!” 😳
André Onana will not want to watch that one back as Hakim Ziyech’s set-piece pulls another one back for Galatasaray!#UCLpic.twitter.com/o0R7vzaCdO
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 29, 2023
3. April 2024, vs Sheffield United
LYON WITH A LATE GOAL! 💥
Andre Onana’s save is spilled into a dangerous area and Rayan Cherki makes no mistake ⚽
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/63a9d5BJs1
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 10, 2025
4. December 2024, vs Nottingham Forest
“He completely wrong-footed Andre Onana” 😬
Morgan Gibbs-White puts Nottingham Forest back in front 🌳 pic.twitter.com/BNt6RtetxC
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 7, 2024
5. December 2024, vs Viktoria Plzen
Andre Onana won’t want to see that again 🫣
A gift from the United keeper and Reading old-boy Matej Vydra pounces to put Plzen ahead 😱
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/fHlsdddhgp
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 12, 2024
6. December 2024, vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
A man down, and now a goal down!
Matheus Cunha’s corner swings STRAIGHT IN and Wolves lead Man Utd 😱#PLonPrime#WOLMUNpic.twitter.com/H0T3LvhzxG
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 26, 2024
7. January 2025, vs Brighton
Georginio Rutter has a third for Brighton!
And it’s a moment Andre Onana won’t want to see again, as he palmed the ball into Rutter’s path…#MUNBHApic.twitter.com/hEeHFlsGUw
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 19, 2025
8. April 2025, vs Lyon
It’s poor anticipation from Andre Onana as Lyon take an early lead through Thiago Almada 🎯
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUKpic.twitter.com/4qpau9jr8u
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 10, 2025