Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has dismissed suggestions that he needs a new goalkeeper, despite Altay Bayındır’s error costing his side in their 1–0 defeat to Arsenal on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
Bayındır was preferred to André Onana at Old Trafford, even though the Cameroonian had returned to full training last week after missing the entire preseason due to a hamstring injury.
The decision surprised many, and Bayındır went on to make a decisive mistake, failing to deal with Declan Rice’s corner and allowing Riccardo Calafiori to head home the only goal of the match.
Speaking in a tense post-match press conference, Amorim defended his goalkeeper and made clear he is content with his current options.
“I’m happy with the three goalkeepers,” Amorim said. “Bayındır chose to go for the ball, but he was being pushed. That’s my feeling when I see the play. In that moment, he needs to use his hands to catch the ball—not push players. He chose to push, and the ball went past.”
On Friday, Amorim had confirmed Onana was fit to feature, though he had completed only three training sessions with the team. His exclusion from the squad prompted questions, but the manager insisted it was not a case of dropping him.
“I didn’t drop Onana,” he said. “It’s not about dropping someone. You can’t put a player into a game like this after just one week without seeing how he fits. Tom [Heaton] and Bayındır did a good job during preseason.”
Despite the result, Amorim praised United’s overall performance, saying they were the stronger side for much of the game. Patrick Dorgu struck the post in the first half, while summer signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo had efforts saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
“It feels like we played better,” Amorim said. “We were the better team, but in the end we lost. I’m really proud of the work they put in. That’s what matters as we move forward. We showed today we can win any game in the Premier League, especially against a top team like Arsenal.”
Adding to the intrigue, striker Rasmus Højlund was left out of the matchday squad, increasing speculation that he could leave the club before the transfer window closes on September 1. One potential destination is AC Milan, whose sporting director told Mediaset on Sunday: “Højlund is a good option for us. We are thinking about him, but in the transfer market you never know what could happen.”
New signing Benjamin Šeško was introduced to fans before kickoff and made his debut from the bench in the second half. When asked about the attacking options, Amorim suggested that the squad is undergoing tactical adjustments.
“It’s a fight for places,” he said. “We’ll see what happens in the market. Rasmus has similar characteristics to Benjamin Šeško, so we need to make choices.”
