Wayne Rooney tells Man United what they must do after Arsenal loss

Wayne Rooney has advised Manchester United to go into the market and sign a new goalkeeper before the transfer window closes after a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in their season opener.

Italian left-back Riccardo Calafiori scored the only goal of the game largely thanks to tame goalkeeping from Altay Bayindir. The Turk was given the nod ahead of Andre Onana who had just returned from a hamstring injury.

United were the better side and should have got something from the game but the Gunners held on to hand Ruben Amorim's men their first defeat of the season. It was a frustrating result but the performance was a positive.

Rooney: Go and sign Donnarumma

The goalkeeping situation is one that has been an issue since David de Gea departed Old Trafford in the summer of 2023. Onana has failed to impress as his replacement while Bayindir has struggled to convince as backup.

Rooney gave his thoughts on why INEOS should look to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma while speaking on his podcast 'The Wayne Rooney Show':

"I think it has to be (sorted out). I go back to when we had Roy Carroll and Tim Howard in goal, I don't think there was 100% trust from the defenders in front of those two goalkeepers. But the minute Edwin van der Sar comes in and calms everything down and the defenders trust him a lot more. Onana's come in, he's a fantastic keeper, but he certainly didn't fill us with much confidence last year. "

United have been linked with Donnarumma although there is talk of Manchester City winning the race to sign the Italian. He is leaving Paris Saint-Germain with a year left on his contract after Luis Enrique opted to sign Lucas Chevalier from Lille.

Rooney was asked whether Donnarumma, reportedly sitting on wages of €244,000 per week (per Capology), would be a risk:

"Donnarumma is 26, he's one of the best keepers in the world, it'd be crazy if Man United don't go for him. I don't think he's a risk, I think I saw a stat the other day where his errors leading to goals was zero."

The Italian shot-stopper was excellent as PSG claimed the Champions League for the first time in their history last season. He particulaly impressed against English clubs en route to the final, putting in superb performances in wins over Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal.

Lammens is more likely than Donnarumma

Donnarumma feels an immediate impact signing should he be the goalkeeper that INEOS were to swoop for before the window closes on September 1. But he isn't at the top of their wishlist as they seem to be eyeing Belgian shot-stopper Senne Lammens.

Fabrizio Romano reports that Lammens "could be a possibility" if the Reds decide to invest in a new keeper. He is "the one they like" amid a fine spell at Royal Antwerp where he's caught the eye with brilliant outings between the sticks.

The 23-year-old would be a less expensive acquistion which could fit into the club's budget and allow INEOS to strengthen in midfield. There's a clear need for a number six following the Arsenal loss although Bayindir's performance has fuelled talk that a new keeper should be prioritised.

READ MORE MAN UTD NEWS HERE: