Manchester United accept €9m to sell Matej Kovar

Manchester United have accepted a £7.78million offer from Bayer Leverkusen for goalkeeper Matej Kovar.

Opening dialogue with Leverkusen could be constructive for United as they have shown interest in defenders Edmond Tapsoba and Jeremie Frimpong.

Kovar, 23, has never played for United but impressed last season on loan at Sparta Prague, where he won the Czech First League title.

The Czech Republic-born goalie joined United's academy in 2018 and was quickly drafted into first-team training by then-manager Jose Mourinho.

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Kovar came on for the second half of United's opening pre-season friendly against Leeds United in Oslo and also played the full 90 minutes of the 1-0 defeat of Lyon in Edinburgh.

However, Kovar was not named in the squad for the tour of the United States. United clarified his absence was due to the likelihood of Kovar heading back out on loan.

United manager Erik ten Hag has been more decisive with academy talents with no pathway to the first team and, rather than loaning Kovar, United have agreed to sell him.

Zidane Iqbal and Ethan Laird, two other academy graduates who figured in Ten Hag's first tour squad, were sold to FC Utrecht and Birmingham City earlier this summer.

Kovar was loaned to Football League sides Swindon Town and Burton Albion prior to his fruitful season-long loan in Prague.