Manchester United will finally get what they want with Altay Bayindir transfer

Altay Bayındır could provide a solution that has troubled Manchester United for several years.

United are expected to finalise a deal for the Fenerbahce goalkeeper before Friday’s transfer deadline. Bayindir’s arrival at Old Trafford appears to hinge on Dean Henderson’s proposed £20m move to Crystal Palace.

The England international has long been clear about his intentions to pursue regular first team football since struggling to take David De Gea’s number one spot during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time in charge. As Henderson recovered from injury, the experienced Tom Heaton was used as new arrival Andre Onana’s back-up during pre-season.

But Heaton also wants to play more regularly, and was courted by Luton Town earlier this summer. His injury late in pre-season also meant United needed to find an alternative.

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With Heaton now 37 and Henderson not prepared to play second fiddle, United needed a younger prospect to challenge Onana and grow into a potential first team option. A move for Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki proved unsuccessful, with the 21-year-old completing a loan switch to Belgian side STVV. T

In Bayindir, United would be bringing in a goalkeeper with considerable experience. The 25-year-old has captained Fenerbahce since early 2022 and, at his age, is still on an upward trajectory.

It is a different approach to last season, when United turned to the loan market in Martin Dubravka and then Jack Butland, after allowing Henderson to join Nottingham Forest on loan. Bayindir's arrival would arguably give United their most settled goalkeeping cohort since Sergio Romero was second-choice to De Gea during the 2019/20 season, when the Reds reached