Radek Vitek has been Man Utd’s biggest success story so far this season on loan, and it’s not going unnoticed at Old Trafford.
A loan to Bristol City for Radek Vitek has exceeded expectations, as he was signed as an emergency backup when their first-choice GK was injured.
By January, the “first-choice GK” had left the club because Vitek made himself undroppable in his very first loan in the Championship.
That is no easy feat for a young loanee from Man Utd, and Andy Mitten has shared an exciting update on his future.
Andre Onana, Radek Vitek of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground on July 11, 2024
Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
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Radek Vitek is exciting people at Man Utd
The Championship can largely be regarded as the final frontier for loanees of elite clubs before their parent club gives them a chance.
The way Vitek has taken to Championship football, in a recently struggling Bristol City team no less, has been remarkable to see.
He’s a bona fide fan favourite, a statistical darling, and the first name on the teamsheet at a club already regretting having him just temporarily.
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Speaking on The Talk of the Devils podcast, Mitten has now shared that his form is getting people at Man Utd extremely excited.
He said: “Vitek has been at the club for a long, long time. Really highly rated. But unlike some of the players who’ve gone out on loan, he’s justifying it.
“He’s playing for a big club, Bristol City. He’s playing for 25,000 every week. And I keep getting messages from people who watch him every week, which I don’t. And they’re like, he’s absolutely brilliant.”
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Vitek faces an interesting question at Old Trafford
As good as Vitek has been, he’s probably one of the few people who might have preferred United signing Emi Martinez instead of Senne Lammens.
Martinez’s age would have given him a clear run at the No. 1 spot at Old Trafford, for which he faces a tough fight now.
Vitek is just one year younger than Lammens, who is looking immovable from his position as the Man Utd goalkeeper.
Mitten added that it poses an interesting question for the United wonderkid ahead of the summer.
He said: “If you’re him, do you come in and be number two, or do you think I quite like being a goalkeeper and playing every week because he’s 22 years old, he’s moving in the right direction.”
A minor respite for Vitek is that he’s sure to be given a chance in the pre-season when Lammens will be on World Cup duty with Belgium.
If he impresses during that span, then he can make a game of his fight against Lammens for the No. 1 spot.
He could back himself and become the backup to start with because United will also be playing more games next season, but his ideal scenario could be sealing a Premier League loan.
Either way, the upcoming summer is full of big decisions for highly-rated Vitek.
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