Man Utd news: Opinion – Simon Stone on Nemanja Matic’s Andre Onana comments

Former Manchester United and current Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic has labelled Andre Onana “one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history”.

That is a pretty explosive statement that strikes at the heart of a major talking point among Manchester United supporters.

The status of Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar as legendary United figures is assured due to their Premier League title and Champions League-winning feats during their time at Old Trafford.

David de Gea was the goalkeeper for the club’s last championship-winning campaign under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.

He also won an unprecedented four United player of the year awards at a point where many felt without De Gea, the club’s slide from prominence would have been even worse than it was.

However, De Gea’s time at Old Trafford coincided with the period when the demands on goalkeepers to play with their feet began to increase.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not convinced by De Gea and he also lost his place in the Spain squad. Amid a huge amount of speculation around his future, United opted not to offer De Gea an extension in 2023 and he left, with Onana coming in from Inter Milan for £47.2m.

To say Onana is the worst goalkeeper in modern times is harsh and the name of Massimo Taibi’s ill-fated four-game spell in 1999 (he conceded 12 goals) immediately springs to mind. The feeling is that Matic is standing up for a friend in De Gea.

Nevertheless, Onana has done little to justify his transfer fee – the fourth highest paid for a goalkeeper – which means Matic has a legitimate position to launch such an attack.

The pre-match handshake between the pair should be fun.

What do you make of the comments?

Is Matic out of order or is his point valid about Onana’s time in a United shirt?

Let us know