Forget David de Gea, Man Utd will be fuming to have sold a prospect who is dominating Europe
In the summer transfer window, Manchester United offloaded Matej Kovar at what now seems like a bargain price, a decision that appears to have been a regrettable mistake.
During the recent summer transfer window, Manchester United underwent a significant goalkeeping overhaul, allowing David de Gea to depart for free and selling both Dean Henderson and Matej Kovar.
While De Gea remains without a club, Henderson has struggled with injuries at Crystal Palace, and Sam Johnstone’s excellent form has limited his opportunities. On the other hand, Matej Kovar has been flourishing at Bayer Leverkusen.
Amidst Andre Onana’s struggles to instill confidence this season, a portion of the fanbase is expressing a desire for De Gea’s return to Old Trafford.
However, despite De Gea’s past shortcomings, there is another goalkeeper whom many would gladly welcome back.
Kovar had showcased his talent in limited preseason appearances for United, making the decision to sell him for a meager £7.7m appear questionable.
A significant portion of the funds from his sale was spent on Altay Bayindir, who has yet to see any action.
Kovar, at just 23, could have been the ideal backup to Onana and a valuable asset for cup competitions, as evidenced by his performances for Bayer Leverkusen this season.
Having played every minute of Bayer’s Europa League campaign, Kovar stood out as arguably the man of the match in the recent game against Hacken.
Making six crucial saves, he prevented a potential 2.35 goals, securing a clean sheet with an impressive 88% pass completion rate according to SofaScore.
Despite United’s wisdom in including a buy-back clause in the contract, Kovar’s continued success raises questions about the decision to let him go.
Comparing United’s goalkeeping situation in Europe this season, the regret over selling Kovar intensifies. With three clean sheets and only two goals conceded in five games, Kovar has saved 19 shots and prevented 4.25 goals, as per SofaScore.
In contrast, Onana, facing a higher level of competition, has struggled, conceding 14 goals and preventing a negative 2.41 goals in the Champions League alone.
This was highlighted on Wednesday when he let in two goals from free kicks that should have been saved.
Erik ten Hag’s reluctance to trust Bayindir for a starting role adds weight to the argument that retaining Kovar would have been a prudent choice.
Kovar, not De Gea, is emerging as the goalkeeper United should have kept.
