A player recruited by coach Erik ten Hag but scarcely donned the Manchester United jersey.

The 2023/24 season undoubtedly proved to be an unusually tumultuous one for Manchester United, marked by fluctuations and successive injury crises.

Despite recording their worst Premier League finish in history, Manchester United added a trophy to their cabinet at the end of the season. It was a magnificent triumph over the formidable Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

The situation at Old Trafford was quite perplexing. Manchester United came close to enduring a season of utter failure. Speaking of disappointments, one Manchester United player would certainly be dissatisfied, especially as he was one of Erik ten Hag’s acquisitions at Old Trafford.

After Andre Onana’s arrival, Manchester United sought a backup option for the goalkeeper position. At that time, the star Altay Bayindir of Fenerbahce was cautiously selected and considered a feasible option.

Manchester United signed the Turkish international for a mere £4.3 million, a bargain in the transfer market. Before arriving at Old Trafford, the 26-year-old had made 166 appearances in his career, keeping 53 clean sheets, an impressive record.

A year later, Bayindir had only made one appearance at club level. It was a match in the FA Cup against Newport County. This was hardly the dream any player would want to experience in their first season with a new club.

Just after one season, rumors surfaced that he would leave the Red Devils. Ten Hag’s unwavering commitment to Onana certainly affected Bayindir significantly. Moreover, not playing at Manchester United meant Bayindir might even risk not being selected for EURO 2024.

Bayindir is currently included in the preliminary squad of 35 players. However, due to his rare appearances at the club level, it would not be surprising if this goalkeeper is dropped from the squad and does not travel with Turkey to Germany.

Frankly speaking, for the sake of his career, Bayindir probably needs to leave Manchester United. Clearly, Bayindir is a talented goalkeeper, but it would be a waste of potential to continuously sit on the bench at the Theatre of Dreams.

Bayindir truly is another puzzling case for Man Utd. A player recruited but seemingly invisible at Old Trafford. Perhaps many have even forgotten that Manchester United once signed Bayindir.

Surely, it must be a highly frustrating feeling for Bayindir. Especially at a time when Onana repeatedly made mistakes early in the season, yet coach Erik ten Hag still didn’t give this goalkeeper a chance. Bayindir hasn’t even made his debut at Old Trafford and may never receive that honor.