This summer, Manchester United made the decision to part ways with promising Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar, and it might be a move they come to regret.
During Manchester United’s opening two pre-season games, Matej Kovar, a 23-year-old Czech goalkeeper, stood out as one of the stars. He displayed physical presence, confidence, and precise distribution—qualities that the club had been in search of.
While these impressive performances were unfolding, Manchester United was in the process of finalizing the signing of Andre Onana. Kovar seemed like an ideal understudy for the position. However, the unexpected happened—he was sold.
According to BBC Sport, Manchester United received £7.7 million from Kovar’s transfer to Bayer Leverkusen, with the inclusion of a buy-back clause as a precaution.
Recently, Matej Kovar made his debut for Bayer Leverkusen in their Europa League match against Swedish side Hacken. Despite being the backup to Lukas Hradecky, the 33-year-old Finn, Kovar’s performance was stellar.
Kovar secured a clean sheet as Leverkusen won 4-0, making six important saves. He also displayed composure on the ball, completing 86 percent of his passes. It was a complete and impressive performance.
In a week where new signing Andre Onana admitted to costing Manchester United the game against Bayern Munich, Kovar’s successful display for Leverkusen raises questions about whether Manchester United should have entrusted the young talent to be their new number one.
Having won the Czech title last season while on loan, Kovar possessed high potential. Still, Manchester United believed it was best for him not to remain as a backup option at Old Trafford, where Onana was set to be the undisputed number one, even in the event of mistakes.
At just 23 years old, Kovar has found a fresh start, and he seized his first opportunity with flair. The presence of a buy-back clause may provide some solace to Manchester United, but only time will tell if parting ways with Kovar was the right decision.