Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has expressed his admiration for André Onana, stating that the Cameroonian is a world-class goalkeeper, even surpassing established names like Jan Oblak, Marc-André ter Stegen, and David Raya.
Van der Sar, who worked with Onana at Ajax, highlighted the Cameroonian goalkeeper's impact both at Inter Milan and Manchester United. According to him, Onana's recent performances justify his status among the world's elite goalkeepers. "Jan Oblak and Marc-André ter Stegen are not world class. Even David Raya is not there yet. Maybe in the future. But André Onana is world class," he stated.
However, André Onana's time at Manchester United has been mixed. Recruited to replace David de Gea in 2023, Onana experienced a difficult start, marked by costly errors. Despite statistics sometimes better than De Gea's, particularly in terms of goals prevented in the Premier League, his performances in the Champions League were heavily criticized.
Onana's difficulties in establishing himself at Manchester United led to a loan to Trabzonspor in Turkey at the start of the current season. Van der Sar suggested that the lack of stability within the Manchester club, with frequent changes of coaches and players, made it difficult for Onana to integrate.
Despite these difficulties, Van der Sar maintains that Onana possesses exceptional qualities, including his reflexes and footwork. He believes that Onana has the potential to improve and be Manchester United's goalkeeper for many years.
However, other figures in football, such as Nemanja Matic, have had much more critical opinions on Onana's performances at Manchester United. In April 2025, Matic even called him "one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United history".
After arriving at Trabzonspor, Onana had a good match, making numerous saves in his debut. Loaned to Trabzonspor until the end of the season, André Onana's future at Manchester United remains uncertain.
