Altay Bayindir finally set to make his Manchester United debut vs. Newport County – Man United News And Transfer News

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Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir is now set to finally make his Manchester United debut this Sunday against Newport County.

United forked out around £4.2 million in the summer to sign Bayindir from Fenerbahce.

He put pen to paper on a deal running until 2027. The club has an option to extend his terms by an extra 12 months if they wish to do so.

Bayindir has however never featured for United in a competitive fixture since arriving at Old Trafford.

This is because Erik ten Hag has used Andre Onana in all of his side’s games, including cup ties. There was criticism levelled at United and Onana for striking an arrangement with Cameroon to let the former Inter Milan man link up late with the national team for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

Onana arrived late for the Indomitable Lions’ opening match against Guinea and was unsurprisingly not selected to play. Rigobert Song gave the United shot-stopper a start in their subsequent game against Senegal, which saw the 27-year-old commit high-profile mistakes in a 3-1 loss.

The Peoples Person explored how the drama surrounding Onana at AFCON has weakened his position as United’s starting goalkeeper further.

Earlier on Tuesday when Cameroon’s starting XI in a must-win clash vs. Gambia came out, Onana’s name was the shock exclusion from the team sheet. In a vital game, Song elected to start Fabrice Ondoa instead.

With Onana on the bench, Cameroon dramatically beat Gambia 3-2 to book their place in the next stage of the competition.

Bayindir has been named on the United bench 27 times this season without getting on the pitch. According to The Daily Mail, the 25-year-old is poised to start between the sticks during United’s upcoming FA Cup fourth-round affair against Newport County at Rodney Park.

The Mail explains that even if Onana had been available in the event that Cameroon were knocked out of AFCON, Bayindir seemed nailed-on to start.

“Altay Bayindir is set to make his debut in goal for Manchester United in Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Newport County – even if Andre Onana’s Cameroon go out of the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.”

“Confidential understands that Bayindir is clear to make his first appearance since joining United in a £4.3m deal from Fenerbahce in the summer.”

With Onana now poised to stay a little bit longer at AFCON after Cameroon’s win vs. Gambia, the stage is set for Bayindir to make his mark after a long wait.