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Manchester United misfit Altay Bayindir may well have played his final match for the club, with a move to Celta Vigo now appearing increasingly close.

The Turkey international joined Manchester United from Fenerbahce in 2023 after making more than 100 appearances for the Super Lig side.

Although he won the award for the Turkish top flight’s best goalkeeper in 2021, there have been very few bright spots during his spell at Old Trafford.

The error-prone Andre Onana kept him out of the side in the 2023-24 season, and the same was largely true in the following campaign, while last season summer arrival Senne Lammens took over as the No 1.

The 6ft 6in goalkeeper did occasionally show what he could do, and former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim highlighted that after their FA Cup third-round victory over Arsenal in January 2025.

One month after being mocked for a dreadful display in goal during a defeat to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, Amorim said, “Your life as a footballer has cycles and moments.

“Sometimes in one week, your life can change and you can see [that with] Altay. Against Tottenham everyone was biting their fingers for Altay and I understand that – and today he was our hero.

“He’s a good guy, he works a lot and life has beautiful things. All the players in this team have the opportunity and they are lucky because they are playing for Manchester United. It doesn’t matter if you play one game or 90 games, it’s always a joy to play for this club.”

That, however, may have been as good as it got for Bayindir at the Red Devils. So far, he has made 17 appearances since arriving for a reported fee of £4.3m.

Bayindir has never truly looked convincing as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper and, with Manchester United bringing in Karl Darlow as cover for Lammens, an exit has seemed unavoidable.

The player himself, though, does not appear to have clarity over what comes next. Bayindir was asked by a supporter outside Carrington whether he would still be at the club after the transfer window.

Bayindir said this week, “I have no idea. We will see. Time will show us everything.”

Now, according to reports, Celta Vigo are hoping to complete a loan move for Bayindir in the next few days.

It is believed manager Claudio Giraldez has been pushing for a new goalkeeper, and the 28-year-old would battle with Andrei Radu for the first-choice spot.

Manchester United are reportedly holding an option to extend Bayindir’s contract by another 12 months, with his existing deal due to run until 2027.

They could trigger that in an effort to receive some money for him, but reports claim there is very little chance of the Premier League club collecting a fee from Celta for the goalkeeper.

What is more, if he were to join them on a permanent basis, Bayindir would need to take a ‘vast’ pay cut from wages said to be around the £35,000 mark.