The Manchester United first-team might be going through another transitional phase this season under new management but as ever, the academy is flourishing.
Not only are the kids alright, but even those who’ve taken the next steps on their professional journey, a loan move, are succeeding in new environments.
Joe Hugill is learning the rigours of the game in a physical League One with Wigan Athletic, Rhys Bennett is impressing at Fleetwood Town, Elyh Harrison is not far behind at Chester but the most exciting prospect in Radek Vitek has lived up to his name.
Vitek leveraged Man Utd pre-season heroics to earn a move to Austrian Bundesliga side BW Linz in the summer and he became the undisputed first-choice almost immediately.
Radek Vitek of Blau Weiss Linz with a big safe during the Admiral Bundesliga match between FC Blau Weiss Linz and GAK at Hofmann Personal Stadion o...
Photo by Severin Aichbauer/SEPA.Media /Getty Images
Radek Vitek impressing at BW Linz
Vitek has been a highly-rated prospect in the academy for his imposing frame, deceptively good ball-playing abilities and brilliant reflexes.
He started well at BW Linz as well, and built on that start successfully where he has been in goal for some of BW Linz’s massive victories, including a derby win vs LASK.
An injury to Vitek halted his impressive start but as soon as he was fit, he came straight back into the first XI and picked up from where left off.
He was a man-of-the-match contender vs Wolfsberger and his supreme shot-stopping display at the start of December earned BW Linz a famous win away at Rapid Wien.
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Overall for the season, Vitek has a save percentage at a remarkable 80%, preventing at least five goals for his team compared to what an average goalkeeper would have saved.
Another win in their most recent game vs SK Austria Klagenfurt has propelled Linz to the sixth position in the table, a successful run that has coincided with Vitek’s return to the fore.
They’ve won three of their last five and Vitek’s heroics will be needed again as they play the Linz derby away from home up next vs LASK.
That game is in February after the winter break and Vitek will be hoping to keep his impressive form as he’s BW Linz’s highest-rated player this season on pure form.
Vitek giving Man Utd a decision to make next summer
Vitek turned 21 in October and with his contract at Old Trafford running till 2027, the club will have a decision to make next summer.
He has shown that he’s ready to play regular first-team football against some top sides like RB Salzburg, for example.
He’ll return to United with only two years left on his contract which means that depending on what he wants, the club can send him for one more loan spell.
If Vitek is ambitious, he might even ask to contend for a first-team spot at the club or ask for a permanent transfer to kickstart his career elsewhere.
Onana will be 29 next summer which is far from being done as a goalkeeper so United will be faced with a deja vu of the situation that led Dean Henderson to the exit door with David de Gea manning the goalpost.
That is a decision United arguably lived to regret as Henderson is a bonafide Premier League goalkeeper while De Gea left United as a free agent after some high-profile errors.
They’ll reach the same crossroads with Onana-Vitek too, probably as soon as next season and if not, definitely in the summer of 2026.
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