Manchester United may seek a new goalkeeper this summer, but one player appears to have diminished his chances of remaining in contention.
Andre Onana has made several notable errors this season, leading to speculation regarding Manchester United’s interest in alternative goalkeepers.
The latest name associated with United is Andriy Lunin from Real Madrid, indicating that this position may be a significant area of focus during the summer transfer window.
Reports indicate that Ruben Amorim intends to acquire two goalkeepers to enhance competition for the starting position.
Additionally, United will be monitoring the performances of Matej Kovar, with the possibility of reintroducing him to Old Trafford.
Matej Kovar suffers Champions League nightmare
Kovar took his position in goal for Bayer Leverkusen as they faced off against Bundesliga opponents Bayern Munich in a Champions League Round of 16 match.
The encounter was anticipated to be closely contested, given the familiarity between the two teams; however, it ultimately resulted in a decisive win for Bayern.
Harry Kane opened the scoring for Bayern with a header, after which Kovar experienced a moment that no goalkeeper wishes to endure.
He was required to step off his line to intercept a cross from Joshua Kimmich directed towards the back post.
Although the Czech goalkeeper managed to get his hands on the ball, it unfortunately slipped through his grasp, allowing Jamal Musiala to score with ease.
Leverkusen’s situation worsened when Nordi Mukiele received a red card, reducing the team to ten players. Kane then scored a third goal, effectively sealing the match for Bayern, even with a second leg still to come.
While a 1-0 deficit could have been surmountable, Leverkusen faltered following Kovar’s significant mistake, leading Xabi Alonso to contemplate the possibility of starting veteran Lukas Hradecky in the return leg.
German media on Matej Kovar
United will be monitoring Kovar closely, given the buy-back clause that can be activated; however, his performance on Wednesday night did not effectively demonstrate his abilities.
The 24-year-old is likely feeling disheartened by his error, which has drawn significant criticism from the German media.
“He was once again chosen over Hradecky for the international match, but he has now become synonymous with failure. He failed to deliver a single notable moment during the game. Instead, he contributed to Bayern’s second goal with a glaring mistake. Following that, there were chaotic scenes as he handled the ball in his own penalty area,” reported Sport, assigning Kovar a rating of five out of ten.
“There was no chance at 0-1. He was even more under scrutiny at 0-2 when he allowed a cross from Kimmich to slip through his grasp, leading to Musiala’s tap-in. This catastrophic error occurred in the 53rd minute. He occasionally struggles with high balls, nearly dribbling past Kane at one point. Overall, it was a very unfortunate outing for the goalkeeper,” added Ran, who concurred with the five out of ten rating.
Kovar has participated in only three Bundesliga matches this season but has been receiving starting opportunities in the Champions League.
While United may consider re-signing Kovar in the future, it would not be surprising if he remains on the bench for the remainder of the season at Leverkusen following his significant blunder.