Manchester United confirm arrival of Czech Republic youth international Matej Kovar
KEY POINTS
- The club's recruitment drive at youth level continues with the 17-year-old signing a contract.
- United could also be encouraged to renew interest in Benfica starlet Umaro Embalo.
- The 16-year-old forward's move to RB Leipzig has broken down over agent's demands.
Manchester United have confirmed teenage goalkeeper Matej Kovar has joined the club subject to international clearance.
17-year-old Kovar has been snapped up by the club after impressing during a brief trial spell at the club last November. He has now left Czech club FC Slovako to sign a deal at Old Trafford and becomes the latest addition to United's academy.
United's recruitment drive at youth level – overseen by academy chief Nicky Butt – has seen a number of bright young prospects arrive in Manchester over the last 12 months with Aliou Traore, Largie Ramazani, Arnau Puigmal, former Chelsea youngster Di-Shon Bernard and Northern Ireland Under-17 captain Ethan Galbraith all joining the club over the last 12 months.
United have shown interest in bringing another young prospect to the club in the form of Benfica starlet Umaro Embalo.
The 20-time English league champions dispatched chief scout Javier Ribalta to watch over the 16-year-old forward when Benfica and United's youngsters met in the Uefa Youth Cup last October.
It was later revealed a meeting between the 20-time English champions and Benfica officials had taken place with Portuguese publication A Bola reporting United had offered €5m for the teenager, a bid that fell someway short of Benfica's initial €15m valuation.
RB Leipzig were ready to pay up, however, and were expected to tie up a deal worth €15m up front that could rise to €25m with future bonuses – a princely fee for a player who has not made his debut for the senior side or started a single match in the Uefa Youth League.
Embalo travelled to Germany last weekend having agreed a five-year deal with the Bundesliga side but according to German publication Kicker, a deal is now off. The report suggested "differences" between the player's management team and Leipzig have caused the deal to fall through, with Leipzig dismayed with the efforts of Embalo's agent Cátio Baldé to make fresh demands just as the deal was about to go through.
Embalo will now return to Benfica and for now, remains on the market with Barcelona and Real Madrid also among the clubs to have been closely following his progress over the last 12 months.
