Manchester United might follow £7.7 million example with latest breakout star

There must be something about the Norwegian air that brings out the best in young Manchester United goalkeepers.

A year ago, Matej Kovar was one of the standout performers in a pre-season win over Leeds in Oslo, and yesterday Radek Vitek made headlines with his own heroics in goal.

Vitek's performance was one of few positives for United on a disappointing outing in which standards weren't met, irrespective of the tame nature of the encounter. He was comfortably the Man of the Match, making seven stops, two high claims and finishing with a passing accuracy of 90 percent.

Yet, Erik ten Hag's full-time assessment offered a brutal reality check even for the talented youngster. Vitek had played well, but his performance was amplified by the struggles surrounding him. “Let’s say he got the opportunity from the team to make some very good saves, because our performance as a team was not good enough," the United manager said.

Once again, it is worth looking at Kovar to get a more accurate reading of the situation. A little over a month after he impressed against Leeds he was sold for £7.7 million to Bayer Leverkusen. It worked out well for both.

After an impressive loan spell with Accrington Stanley last season, Vitek seems certain to leave the club on loan again this summer at the very least. At the age of 20, that is exactly what he needs as he looks to make his breakthrough into the professional game. Vitek will be served little good by playing in the youth teams or even staying around as first-team back-up when it is clear he has so much more to offer.

The other consideration is that he is sold altogether. United are already spoilt with talented young 'keepers and there is an argument to suggest Vitek should be sold while his stock is so high, given the unlikelihood of him actually making it at senior level. United are looking to adopt a more decisive approach when it comes to selling homegrown players and are eager to identify the right moment to sell players when it becomes clear they will not become a first-team regular or when they are unwilling to sign a new contract.

That is by no means a criticism of him as a player, more so a reflection of the standards required to make it at first-team level and the fact so few young goalkeepers manage to do so. To ever do so, Vitek must not only be better than Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, but he must also have more potential than anyone else they could buy as well. It's certainly a tall ask.

Vitek will hope to be involved again when United face Rangers in Edinburgh this weekend, but with Onana and Bayindir expected to play throughout the US tour, we might already be coming to the end of the Czech youngster's summer audition.

He won't be short of offers if it proves to be the case.