- Summer departures at Manchester United have started
- Altay Bayindir allowed to leave Old Trafford
- Exit dependent on multiple factors
The rumour mill is officially underway for Manchester United, who have already had one departure set in stone from last week.
After Serie A side Napoli qualified for the Champions League, Rasmus Hojlund’s move will be made permanent. The striker even announced his departure on Instagram, thanking United for fulfilling a ‘childhood dream’.
There is another goodbye in the works at Old Trafford, but nothing has quite been formalised as of yet.
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Bayindir Free to Leave Old Trafford
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Altay Bayindir “can leave” Manchester United this summer.
Whether he actually departs is a different story. Beşiktaş were interested in the player earlier in the season, but nothing materialised. However, Romano’s latest update suggests that a return to his homeland is no longer inevitable.
Any potential deal will depend on managerial changes at the Turkish giants, who recently sacked Sergen Yalçın. Whether a new manager will still want Bayindir is the ultimate question at the moment.
The Turkish goalkeeper has spent most of the season as the second-choice option behind Senne Lammens. While Bayindir was briefly preferred to the Belgian in his early days, Lammens secured the starting spot permanently.
Bayindir last featured for United under Ruben Amorim in a 3-1 loss to Brentford back in September. Ultimately, a string of shaky performances prompted INEOS to move for Lammens. Despite his recent struggles, the 28-year-old is still best remembered by fans for his penalty heroics against Arsenal in last year’s FA Cup third-round victory.
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Time to Move on?
Since losing his place to Lammens, United fans haven’t seen Bayindir in action again. The lack of domestic matches has been a contributing factor to this.
Unsurprisingly, he has also lost his starting place in the national team. Galatasaray’s Ugurcan Cakir has been preferred. However, he has been provisionally included in the 2026 World Cup squad.
It may be that the Turk is never seen in United colours again if Besiktas can step up their interest in the goalkeeper. Currently, it is a case of wait-and-see – unless another suitor comes in. Right now, that seems unlikely as no other clubs have shown significant interest.
A return to the Super Lig has been on the cards for a while now, which would mirror the path of Andre Onana at Trabzonspor. At 28, there is still some sell-on value for the Reds to consider.
It feels like the right time for both parties to move on, especially if Radek Vitek stays at Old Trafford next season as Lammens’ deputy.
