"He’s going to a great team" - Fred seemingly confirms next Manchester United transfer at Fenerbache unveiling
Fenerbache's latest midfield signing, Fred, has all but confirmed the departure of goalkeeper Altay Bayindir to his former club Manchester United. The 25-year-old shot-stopper has been linked with a move to the Premier League giants for the major portion of the summer, and the transfer now appears to be imminent.
Following the departure of club legend David de Gea, Manchester United wasted no time in locking up Andre Onana as the heir to the Spaniard's post. The former Cameroon international's transfer was quickly wrapped up by the Red Devils, with the deal costing them a sizeable fee of €52.5m.
Despite Onana's swift signing, the goalkeeping conundrum at Old Trafford continued to ensue, with second-choice Dean Henderson's future hanging in the balance.
Nevertheless, if reports by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano are to be believed, the Englishman has seemingly agreed to a deal with Crystal Palace. With Henderson all set to say his goodbyes to his boyhood club, Manchester United are free to sign Altay Bayindir as his replacement.
The said move has apparently been confirmed by former United midfielder Fred, with his statements to the Turkish media suggesting that Bayindir is already on his way to England. When asked about his teammate's future, the Brazillian revealed (source: The Mirror),
"I wished Altay good luck when he left. He’s going to a great team."
"I gave him some suggestions about places where he could live and I told him it rains a lot! I think Altay is going to be very happy at Manchester United."
Despite being linked with Benfica's Odysseas Vlachodimos, it appears that Erik Ten Hag has settled on Altay Bayindir to be the deputy to Onana for the ongoing season.
Manchester United's transfer window is far from over
The 13-time Premier League champions have already spent over €190m in signings so far, recruiting the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and the aforementioned Onana (source: Transfermarkt). Nevertheless, fitness issues with his first team have forced Ten Hag to re-enter the market, with the Dutch manager reportedly looking to enlist a left-back.
Following substantial injuries to both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, Manchester United are currently devoid of a proper left-back. Consequently, the club are scouting Barcelona's Marcos Alonso, Tottenham's Sergio Reguilon and most prominently, Chelsea's Marc Cucurella as probable replacements.
According to Fabrizio Romano, 2022 World Cup winner Nicolás Tagliafico is also in the mix, despite Ten Hag's preference for Cucurella (source: Marca).