Manchester United have reportedly identified a former goalkeeper as a potential replacement for Altay Bayindir.
The 26-year-old joined the Red Devils from Fenerbahce for around £4.3m in the summer of 2023 and has since acted as an understudy to first-choice shot-stopper Andre Onana.
Bayindir has subsequently been limited to only four first-team appearances for Man United across all competitions, including three outings in this season's EFL Cup.
The agent of the 10-cap Turkey international recently confirmed that his client "had offers from many European clubs and the Premier League" at the beginning of this season, but he opted to stay at Man United and still wants to remain at the club.
However, there have been suggestions that Bayindir could be offloaded by Ruben Amorim's side in the near future, with a number of goalkeepers being linked with a potential move to Old Trafford.
The likes of Brighton & Hove Albion's Bart Verbruggen, Royal Antwerp's Senne Lammens and Nice's Marcin Bulka are all believed to be admired by Man United, and a familiar name has since emerged as a possible target.
© Imago
Man United plotting move for Kovar?
According to the Manchester Evening News, Man United could look to pursue former goalkeeper Matej Kovar if they decide to replace Bayindir.
Kovar, who stands 6ft 5in tall, spent five years at Old Trafford between 2018 and 2023, but he did not make a single senior appearance for the Red Devils before securing a permanent €9m move to Bayer Leverkusen.
The 24-year-old has proven to be a superb second-choice shot-stopper for the Bundesliga club, featuring 24 times in all competitions, but Lukas Hradecky remains their number one goalkeeper and club captain.
Nevertheless, Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso recently heaped praise on Kovar, telling reporters: "He's complete, he's intelligent, he's good with his feet, even better in goal. We have to help him develop for the future.
"He showed last season and also in the preparation at Manchester United that he is at a high level. He was ready from the start, trained well and in cup and also the Europa League showed that he is a good option. He deserves to keep this position."
Kovar is under contract at the BayArena until June 2027, but it is understood that Man United inserted a buy-back clause with a right of first refusal in his deal when he joined Leverkusen.
Oliver Thomas
