‘Sell-on clause’ became a familiar phrase during Manchester United’s summer transfer window.
Seemingly learning the art of the sale after years of letting potentially valuable assets go on the cheap, the Red Devils are clearly benefitting from the appointment of genuine recruitment and business experts behind the scenes.
Though it must be said that, while Manchester United have come in for plenty of criticism over the years with regards to both their incomings and their outgoings, they were not entirely alien to the idea of ‘sell-on clauses’ prior to the Ineos era.
When selling Matej Kovar to Bayer Leverkusen for around £8 million back in 2023, Man United secured not only a sell-on clause but also a buy-back clause, per BBC Sport.
As such, should Kovar go from strength to strength in Germany, the Premier League giants would have first refusal on the Czech glovesman.
“Maybe I’ll come back one day,” Kovar told the Rheinische Post in August, hinting that his United goodbye might have been more of a ‘see you later’.
“That would be nice.”
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Manchester United have Matej Kovar buy-back clause
If Kovar is serious about picking up where he left off at Carrington at some point in the near future, the Carrington graduate will first have to prove that he belongs at the very top level of European football.
Gary Neville once said that there was no tougher job in football than that of the Man United goalkeeper, per Sky Sports.
A point Andre Onana would no doubt attest to – criticised regularly, and unfairly according to Benni McCarthy, throughout his debut season at Old Trafford.
And while Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has praised Kovar’s ‘growing confidence’, per BuliNews, a less-than-convincing display during last weekend’s shock 3-2 home defeat to RB Leipzig was a reminder of how far the 24-year-old still has to go.
Suffering a league defeat for the first time in 35 matches, the reigning Bundesliga champions succumbed to a thrilling Leipzig fightback at the Bay Arena.
And while Kovar cannot be accused of a fumble of Massimo Taibi-sized proportions, a goalkeeper with ambitions of the elite would probably be expected to save both of Lois Openda’s second-half strikes.
Goalkeeper criticised after shock Bundesliga defeat
“The Czech national goalkeeper cut a very unfortunate figure,” write Kicker, Openda’s first of the afternoon fired between Kovar’s legs at the near post and then doubling his tally from long range.
“Not a serious mistake, but Kovar looked anything but good.
“Later, when Leipzig scored the winning goal with a 20-metre shot from Openda, Kovar didn’t seem very dynamic.
“Kovar’s performance was in line with the performances that the Czech had repeatedly shown in the second half of the previous season in the major cup matches, both nationally and internationally, when he repeatedly showed weaknesses.
“He still has to prove that he can be an above-average Bundesliga goalkeeper.”
This was only Kovar’s second league appearance for Leverkusen.
And while he could do little to stop Ademola Lookman’s stunning hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final defeat to Atalanta – a 3-0 defeat denying Alonso’s team the treble – Kovar is yet to prove that Lukas Hradecky’s status as Leverkusen’s number one should come under any real threat.
Kovar only started against Leipzig, as Alonso explains, because Hradecky had come down with an injury pre-match.
If the experienced Finn is ready to go again after the international break, Kovar will be back in familiar surroundings on the substitute’s bench with a starting spot – and a potential return to Man United – still a pipe dream.
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