Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United’s sale of Radek Vitek had supporters up in arms just last week, but ahead of confirmation, there has been a reminder that Ineos has got this decision right.
Following Radek Vitek’s excellent loan at Bristol City and his strong performances for the Manchester United first-team during pre-season, it is clear that he is a potentially elite goalkeeper.
But Vitek’s demand for first-team football as a starter meant that he was always unlikely to stay at United this summer, with a permanent exit rumoured to be on the cards.
Now, Vitek is about to join Middlesbrough for an initial £7m, which could rise to £14m. But United will be hoping that this is only the beginning of the funds taken in from Vitek.
Manchester United v AFC Wrexham - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
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James Trafford is the perfect indication that Manchester United got Radek Vitek call right
The sale of Vitek also includes a 35% sell-on clause, a buy-back option, and matching rights, which is a deal that resembles when Manchester City sold James Trafford to Burnley for an initial £14m.
In this deal, City had a buy-back and matching rights with a sell-on clause, which saw them re-sign Trafford back as the standout Championship goalkeeper in 2025 for £31m, minus £4m due to their sell-on, having matched a bid Newcastle United submitted.
Now, this summer City has sold Trafford for £45m to Leeds United, which is a further £18m of profit on their academy graduate. In total, City have earned £32m from Trafford sales when subtracting what they paid for him.
This will be the ambition for United with Vitek in the coming years.
If Vitek is a roaring success and reaches his potential, then he will easily be bought back to either rival Senne Lammens or be sold on for more, similar to Trafford.
On the flipside, if Vitek triggers the add-ons to have cost Boro £14m but isn’t as special as United believe, then £14m will look like a great deal for him.
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Middlesbrough is the perfect destination for United’s best wonderkids
Vitek could be a glowing success at Middlesbrough, and chances are in 12 months he will be a Premier League player, whether that is with Boro, United, or another club.
Vitek’s move to Boro brought up the Michael Carrick link, which is Carrick’s former managerial club, and therefore, he will have close ties to the decision makers there.
In this case, Vitek shouldn’t be the first player sent to the North East and United should be offering the finest prospects to Boro on loan as well.
Jacob Devaney, Harry Amass and Dan Gore are all Championship-level players and could aid Middlesbrough’s push for promotion this coming season, while the club are also proven to be excellent at handling young players.
Vitek should be the start of an excellent relationship between the clubs.