The future of one Manchester United star looks to be in significant danger, with Rúben Amorim keen on starting an Academy star across pre-season.
Manchester United are set to kick off their pre-season schedule with a clash against Leeds United in Stockholm, Sweden.
Following a 15th-place finish in last season’s Premier League, the Reds have lined up a strong set of fixtures to prepare for the 2025/26 campaign, including four matches against fellow top-flight English clubs and a home game at Old Trafford against Fiorentina.
After facing Leeds, United will head to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series, where they’ll take on West Ham, Bournemouth, and Everton.
Supporters will be particularly excited to see the Leeds game, which could mark the first appearance of new signings Matheus Cunha and Diego Leon.
Amorim looking to start Vitek in pre-season
Late last week, news broke that first-choice goalkeeper André Onana had suffered a hamstring tear in training and is in danger of being out for up to two months. This would mean the Cameroon international would miss the first few weeks of the Premier League season.
With United focused elsewhere in the summer market, as midfield and attacking reinforcements remain a priority, Rúben Amorim is reportedly keen to promote 21-year-old Academy goalkeeper Radek Vitek to the first team in Onana’s absence.
Vitek spent last season on loan at Austrian side Blau-Weiss Linz after an “outstanding” pre-season performance for United last summer, and according to iSport, is now in line to start during the United States leg of Tour 2025.
The Czech goalkeeper is said to be “highly-rated” within United, and is said to be the first-choice pick to play against West Ham in New Jersey on 27 July.
Bayındır’s United future in trouble
Onana’s back-up last season, Altay Bayındır, played eight times under Amorim across 2024/25, including a few games in the Premier League.
He made a “mental” error on the final day of the season against Aston Villa, somewhat sealing the opinion that he was not good enough to be relied upon at Old Trafford.
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According to the latest reports, Bayındır’s agent is set to fly into Manchester this week to hold crunch talks with the club’s decision makers surrounding his client’s future, with the 27-year-old unlikely to remain part of Amorim’s side.
Elsewhere, United have also been closely linked with Botafogo’s goalkeeper, John Victor, who is available for around £5.9 million this summer should the club need to sign a new player in the position.
Vitek has also been linked with a loan move to Championship side Millwall this summer, which could be a fantastic experience in English football for the youngster.
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