Who is Altay Bayindir and what does he bring to United?

Since joining the club, Bayindir is yet to make a single appearance across all competitions for Erik Ten Hag but could have the opportunity to change that against Everton.

Number one Andre Onana suffered an injury whilst on international duty with Cameroon which has paved the way for Bayindir's potential debut. Even if Onana is fit for the weekend's game, it's likely that Bayindir will see considerable minutes during January, with Onana at the African Cup of Nations.

So, what do we need to know about the 25-year-old and what are his qualities?

Who is Bayindir?

Bayindir was on the books of multiple Turkish clubs in his youth before eventually breaking into the first team at Ankaragücü in 2016.

Spending three years with the club, he made some 28 appearances before moving on to Fenerbahçe in the summer of 2019.

Becoming first-choice there, Bayindir established a reputation for being a solid shot-stopper, across 166 career appearances in Turkish football, he has managed to keep 53 clean sheets.

The 22/23 season saw him keep nine clean sheets, enough to convince United to part with a fee of £4.3m for his services.

Standing at 6’6 in height, Bayindir is an imposing figure in 1v1 duels with opposition forwards and his shot-stopping is by far the most notable part of his skillset.

In this regard, he is quite different from Onana, whose strengths with the ball at his feet is up there with the best in the world.

Bayindir's heatmap from last season show extensive activity within the penalty area itself, with some activity just outside the box too. He can receive to feet and play short without necessarily being expansive.

He averaged 36.2 touches per90 last season, this figure is understandable when you look at average possession figures last season for the Turkish Süper Lig, Fenerbahce averaged a whopping 59.8%.

Can he displace Onana?

So far that seems absolutely unlikely. Ten Hag's unwillingness to give Bayindir his debut until absolutely necessary is telling.

The Turkish international is not as of yet the undisputable number one for his country but is a close competitor for the top spot alongside Uğurcan Çakır, who started the friendly against Wales.

In stylistic similarities, Bayindir leans closer towards former United number one David de Gea, more of a traditional shot-stopper rather than someone who is comfortable playing out from the back.

The 25-year-old weaknesses in this regard have maybe held him back from playing for a better team, nevertheless, he is brave and willing to be aggressive in his sweeping actions outside the penalty area.

Given his age and base quality, United have potentially landed a bargain in Bayindir.

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