Ruben Amorim hits back at reporter over Man Utd star after being told to play a 39-year-old instead
Ruben Amorim hit back at a reporter’s question after he was asked whether he should have started Tom Heaton over Altay Bayindir in Manchester United’s defeat to Arsenal.
Despite an improved showing compared to last season, United began their 2025-26 Premier League campaign with a 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal with Bayindir taking the blame for the goal.
The Turkish keeper flapped at Declan Rice’s free kick, leaving Riccardo Calafiori with an empty net to head into, and it is not the first time the 27-year-old has failed to deal with an aerial ball.
In December, Son Heung-min scored directly from a corner as Tottenham beat United in the Carabao Cup but when that incident was brought up to Amorim, he angrily replied that it would have been disallowed had VAR been used.
“Why? Without VAR [it was given. With VAR, it’s a foul. And then what happened in the next game? Arsenal. Who saved the penalty? Who saved the game?”
“Altay was unbelievable in that game. So I consider everything to put one or the other and I choose Altay.”
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In Sunday’s match, Bayindir was grappling with William Saliba as the ball came in but rather than complain that is against the laws, Amorim suggested his players needed to stay doing as Arsenal had done.
“If you watch the ball, [Saliba] is allowed to do a lot of things at the corners. We need to do the same.
“But when you touch that way, the goalkeeper needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not push players. He chooses to push players and let the ball pass. But again, it’s the rules. If it’s allowed, we need to do the same thing.”
Despite Amorim’s defence of Bayindir, the resounding consensus has been that United need a new goalkeeper even when Andre Onana returns to full fitness.
Having done co-commentary on the game, Gary Neville suggested either Gianluigi Donnarumma or Emiliano Martinez should be the main target.
“There’s a glaring issue for Manchester United that can’t be ignored and that is that they do need to find a goalkeeper,” Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast.
“That needs to be sorted either with a permanent signing or a loan. The two that you look at that have been mentioned in the last few weeks are Martinez and Donnarumma.”
“We’ve seen Martinez play in World Cup finals. They’ve played under extreme pressure and they can handle it. Man United need that.
“I think they need to sort the goalkeeper out because they will keep conceding goals and points and it undermines what you’re doing.
“I’ve said it for years, you need personality, character and stability in that position. I think United need to deal with it in the next couple of weeks.”
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