Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso has confirmed his ‘interest’ in Manchester United goalkeeper Matej Kovar with a departure from the Premier League giants imminent.
On a day of pure, unfiltered Barclays madness – Harry Kane’s will-he-won’t-he saga edging ever closer to a conclusion and Jurgen Klopp displaying more ‘push’ than ‘pull’ as Moises Caicedo leans towards Chelsea instead – Manchester United supporters find themselves in a rather rarified position.
With the bulk of Erik ten Hag’s business already done, the Red Devils can afford to grab the popcorn, pull up a pew, and watch their rivals flap around from a front row seat.
Sales aplenty for Manchester United
This week, after all, has all been about departures rather than incomings at Old Trafford. And some serious progress is being made on that front too. Eric Bailly is on his way to Besiktas. Harry Maguire is heading to West Ham. Donny van de Beek is in talks with Real Sociedad. And Fred to Fenerbahce is only a matter of time.
The sale of Matej Kovar to Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, adds another £8 million to Ten Hag’s kitty. According to Fabrizio Romano, United are set to make a cool profit on a player who has not made a single first-team appearance during five years at Old Trafford.
And while nothing has been officially confirmed just yet – BILD report that there are still a few technicalities which must be overcome – Kovar’s sale should go some way to helping free up funds for a Sofyan Amrabat, a Jean-Clair Todibo, a Benjamin Pavard or perhaps another attacker.
“We will see. It’s not official yet. Of course, there is an interest. (A completed deal) can happen quickly,” Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said at his Friday press conference, per BILD.
“It applies to all positions. For strikers, midfield, defenders and goalkeepers, daily competition in training is very good for the team. I always wanted us to have competition. I said that very clearly.
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“We prepared ourselves to have competition in all positions.”
‘There is interest’
Kovar, a title winner on loan at Slavia Prague, will face ‘competition’ from one of the Bundesliga’s most experienced glovesmen; Lukas Hradecky.
Given how Hradecky performed last season – a string of high-profile mistakes – few would bet against Kovar overtaking him in Alonso’s pecking order sooner rather than later too.