Manchester United’s season began with frustration as Ruben Amorim’s men despite dominating slipped to a 1-0 home defeat against Arsenal.
Despite recording 22 shots compared to Arsenal’s nine, the Red Devils found themselves undone by Riccardo Calafiori’s 13th-minute header, a goal that showed goalkeeper Altay Bayindir’s uncertainty in place of the injured Andre Onana.
The Turkish keeper struggled to deal with Declan Rice’s inswinging corner, weakly palming the ball into Calafiori’s path.
Though Amorim defended his decision to select Bayindir over veteran Tom Heaton, questions remain about whether the club’s goalkeeping unit is strong enough for a long campaign.
Wayne Rooney, who spoke on his program The Wayne Rooney show, made it clear that the position must be addressed before the transfer window closes.
“I think it [a new No.1] has to be [a key thing Amorim sorts out in the final weeks of the window],” Rooney said.
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“I go back to when we had Roy Carroll and Tim Howard in goal
“I don’t think there was 100 per cent trust from the defenders in front of those two goalkeepers.
“But the minute Edwin Van der Sar came in and calmed everything down, the defenders trusted him a lot more and you see a better output of performance.
“And I think that’s where Manchester United are. They want that confidence and that trust in the goalkeeper behind them and tell them where to go. Sometimes it can be just having a calmness and speaking at the right moments.
Donnarumma to Manchester United?
— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) August 18, 2025
Here’s why I think it could be a great move….
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Rooney calls Champions League winner the answer
After stressing the importance of trust at the back, Rooney explained why he believes the solution lies in pursuing Gianluigi Donnarumma, who helped PSG win their first Champions League title last season but is linked with the exit following his omission from the Super Cup squad against Tottenham.
“Unfortunately, someone has decided that I can no longer be part of the group and contribute to the team's success. I am disappointed and disheartened,” Donnarumma wrote last week.
Rooney further said: “The goalkeeper is so important in providing that calmness throughout the team. Especially the back four or five. Van der Sar did that for us.
“Onana’s come in. He’s a fantastic keeper - I watched him at Inter Milan and he was brilliant so if they don’t bring in a new goalkeeper you hope he can get back to that. But he certainly didn’t fill us with confidence last season.”
“I think with Donnaruma, he’s 26. He’s one of the best keepers in the world. It would be crazy if Manchester United didn't go for him.
The Italian, who earns £210,000 [$284, 263] a week and has one year left on his contract, has also been linked with Manchester City, where uncertainty surrounds Ederson’s future amid interest from Galatasaray.
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