Cameroon international Andre Onana has led Trabzonspor to the 2025/26 Turkish Cup final after a series of masterclass performances throughout the tournament.
With two impressive saves on Wednesday, May 13, the Manchester United loanee, who previously saved three penalties in the quarter-finals, helped his side come back from a goal down to beat Gençlerbirliği 2-1 in the semifinal.
Beyond the crucial saves, the 30-year-old played more like an outfielder, completing all his passes, carrying the ball forward six times, and making three recoveries.
What made the display even more remarkable was that he produced those numbers barely days after an injury scare, having been forced off in the seventh minute of their previous game.
Trabzonspor wants Onana to stay
Wednesday’s display was just the tip of the iceberg for the former Inter Milan goalkeeper.
The quarterfinal against Samsunspor had already seen a near-perfect performance from Onana, who saved three penalties to send his side through after securing a clean sheet across both regular time and extra time.
After the quarterfinal, Trabzonspor president Ertuğrul Doğan went public with a permanent transfer plea. “We love him,” Doğan said. “If the conditions are right, we want him to stay.”
Onana himself has expressed satisfaction at the opportunity to prove his worth again after failing to hold down his place under former Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim.
He has spoken of a desire to return to Old Trafford and compete with current number one Senne Lammens — but according to ESPN, the club has already removed him from their plans for next season.
Should he decide to remain in Türkiye, Trabzonspor will face a financial hurdle as Manchester United is reportedly seeking between €45 and €50 million — a figure the club’s vice-president has already described as beyond their reach.
All the same, a cup winner’s medal would only drive that price higher and attract further interest from elsewhere.
The path to the trophy
Their route to the final has been cleared considerably by the early exits of Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe.
Trabzonspor will face Konyaspor on May 22, coming in as strong favorites. The head-to-head record tells its own story: 15 wins, nine draws, and only eight defeats against their opponents.
If Onana lifts that trophy, the conversation around his future will look very different by morning.
