United ready to sell award-winning academy star for just 10m in bizarre judgement call – report

For far too often, Manchester United have struggled when it comes to moving on academy graduates. They have either held on to young stars for longer than required, resulting in his market value tanking due to lack of minutes, or have loaned him out too many times in the hopes of the player finally coming good. A cursory glance at United’s Premier League rivals will show how ruthless they are when it comes to selling homegrown stars and how they always end up earning more than a decent fee. INEOS have taken heed, and a marked improvement was noticed last summer. It seems the trend is set to continue this window as well, as they chase pure profit to balance the books. Radek Vitek could stay as a backup United could be about to earn a sizeable fee as they look to offload Radek Vitek, fresh off of a stunning loan spell at Bristol City. The 20-time English league champions do need a backup to Senne Lammens, with both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir set to be shown the door. Tom Heaton has agreed to a new contract, but he is unlikely to be the backup to the Belgian. Many would have liked to see the Czechia Under-21 international take up the slot. However, that would have meant the 22-year-old would mainly play in a few cup games, with Michael Carrick likely to stick with Lammens for all the big games. Radek Vitek wants regular game time, as United reveal their asking price At his age, Radek Vitek is desperate for regular minutes, and according to Alan Nixon, United are reluctantly ready to move him on instead of agreeing another loan exit. INEOS have slapped a £10 million price tag on his head, with multiple Championship teams vying for the goalkeeper’s signature. Whether United include a sell-on clause or even a buyback clause remains to be seen. It will be a tough pill to swallow for both the keeper and the club if a permanent exit does occur. INEOS also need a homegrown replacement in order to satisfy UEFA rules, which is why Sam Johnstone has emerged as an option. The Wolverhampton Wanderers ace came up through the United academy, which makes him eligible. The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25