logo
PSV to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Matěj Kovář

PSV to sign Bayer Leverkusen's Matěj Kovář

Yahoo4 days ago
Kicker report that PSV are set to sign Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Matěj Kovář after a total agreement was reached on a reported transfer fee of €7m including bonuses. It will bring an end to the Czech's stay in Germany after joining the Bundesliga club from Manchester United.
During his time at Leverkusen, Kovář played second fiddle to Lukas Hradecky in the Bundesliga, making just five league appearances last season but was called upon by Xabi Alonso in Leverkusen's cup competitions. The Czech goalkeeper started four out of die Werkself's five DFB Pokal games, sitting on the bench for their elimination against Arminia Bielefeld in the semi-final. Kovář also started six times in the UEFA Champions League.
Advertisement
The former Manchester United stopper joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2023 for €5m and while not being a standout performer, was a more than adequate back-up for the Bundesliga side as they went on to a league and cup double in 2024, as well as featuring in their historic Europa League run.
GGFN | Daniel Pinder
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

France closes in on Euro 2025 quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Wales
France closes in on Euro 2025 quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Wales

Washington Post

time39 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

France closes in on Euro 2025 quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Wales

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland — Clara Mateo was involved in three goals as France closed in on the Women's European Championship quarterfinal places with a 4-1 win over Wales on Wednesday. The Paris FC forward opened the scoring, forced a penalty that Kadidiatou Diani converted, and then set up Amel Majri for the third goal. France captain Grace Geyoro sealed the result in the 63rd when Wales goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel was unable to stop Diani's cross.

France closes in on Euro 2025 quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Wales
France closes in on Euro 2025 quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Wales

Associated Press

timean hour ago

  • Associated Press

France closes in on Euro 2025 quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over Wales

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland (AP) — Clara Mateo was involved in three goals as France closed in on the Women's European Championship quarterfinal places with a 4-1 win over Wales on Wednesday. The Paris FC forward opened the scoring, forced a penalty that Kadidiatou Diani converted, and then set up Amel Majri for the third goal. France captain Grace Geyoro sealed the result in the 63rd when Wales goalkeeper Safia Middleton-Patel was unable to stop Diani's cross. France tops Group D with six points, three more than England and the Netherlands, while Wales remained bottom with zero points after two games on its tournament debut. England revived its title defense following its opening loss to France by beating the Netherlands 4-0 earlier Wednesday. France will definitely win the group if it avoids defeat against the Dutch on Sunday, when England plays Wales in their final group match. ___ AP soccer:

Fiorentina star on Man Utd radar after 19-goal breakthrough season
Fiorentina star on Man Utd radar after 19-goal breakthrough season

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Fiorentina star on Man Utd radar after 19-goal breakthrough season

Moise Kean, Manchester United and the Long Road from Misjudged Talent to Maturing Striker Kean's evolution in Florence reopens Premier League doors Football often holds an unforgiving memory. For Moise Kean, the image etched into the collective Premier League consciousness remains that winter afternoon at Old Trafford in 2019. Brought on by Duncan Ferguson as a second-half substitute, then swiftly taken off within 18 minutes. It was a damning symbol, a visual shorthand for potential misread and squandered. Photo IMAGO Advertisement Now, five years later, Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring the Fiorentina forward's progress. As reported in The Athletic, Kean has a €52 million release clause active until July 15. It marks an unlikely, even ironic return to the narrative, Old Trafford potentially becoming the stage for his resurgence. And the resurgence is no mirage. Kean's 2024-25 campaign under Raffaele Palladino in Serie A was not just productive, it was transformative. Structure and trust deliver Kean's best form Much of Kean's early club career was spent bouncing between systems, roles and leagues. Juventus gave him little rhythm. Everton even less. A short loan at PSG flashed promise, but consistency evaded him. Advertisement Florence changed that. Palladino placed trust in him as the focal point of Fiorentina's attack and allowed Kean to operate where he is most effective, centrally, on the shoulder of the last defender, rather than drifting wide or reacting to tactical emergency. Photo: IMAGO Palladino was emphatic. 'Both I and the club have faith in Moise, and that might seem banal, but it is fundamental for a player.' The clarity of that belief translated into 19 Serie A goals, second only to Mateo Retegui of Atalanta. Only one of those strikes came from outside the box, and even that was a gift, a backpass snaffled before a calm finish past Yann Sommer. But that, in a way, said everything about Kean's game now. Direct, instinctive, rarely wasteful. Advertisement His presence in the penalty area has grown. Six shots on target per 100 touches last season was the highest rate in Serie A. It placed him well ahead of Rasmus Hojlund (2.2) and Joshua Zirkzee (2.45), two forwards United have heavily invested in or considered. Photo IMAGO Where Hojlund struggled to convert limited service and Zirkzee offered fleeting moments of guile, Kean gave Fiorentina relentless movement. Tracking data showed 39 per cent of his runs were made in behind defensive lines. It's the hallmark of a forward thinking a fraction quicker than his marker. Style of play and tactical identity Kean's hat-trick against Verona encapsulated his evolution. A clever diagonal run for his first, a strong aerial finish for his second, then a slaloming solo effort from the left channel for his third. Advertisement He is now a forward who asks questions of defenders, rather than reacting to what's given. The variety in his finishes illustrates a striker no longer trying to do too much, but simply doing what matters. Photo IMAGO What might be more significant for Manchester United is what this reveals about Fiorentina's role in that improvement. It is not simply that Kean became more prolific, but that the team around him understood how to extract his strengths. Regular minutes, repetition, an understanding of his movement patterns. This is where coaching and recruitment philosophies either collide or coalesce. Advertisement For United's head coach Ruben Amorim, that poses an interesting question. Does Kean offer the kind of pressing, linking and multi-phase involvement his system demands? Or does the Italian provide something more direct, a kind of explosive Plan B when combinations fail? There is no clear answer. What is evident is that Kean is not the player many remember. He is not the brooding teenager trudging off at Old Trafford, nor the Everton enigma shadowed by systemic dysfunction. He is 25, a player with identity and purpose, who knows where to be in the box and how to finish. Photo IMAGO English memory and the risk of misjudgement Kean's Premier League past has unfairly clouded his potential. English football often preserves reductive versions of players. Iago Aspas is remembered for one misplaced corner, not for nine seasons of prolific returns at Celta Vigo. Advertisement That sort of memory trap risks repeating itself. Kean was a teenager in 2019. His substitution by Ferguson, as ignominious as it appeared, said more about managerial instinct than footballing ability. The broader narrative ignored context, growth and age. Now, he is emerging from the shadows, but in a different light. There is nuance to his game, and strength in his simplicity. He plays within his limits, not constrained by them. For United, there is intrigue. Not just in whether Kean fits their tactical needs, but in whether their cultural instincts can move past a single snapshot of perceived failure. Our View – EPL Index Analysis United fans will remember Moise Kean for those 18 miserable minutes. That moment at Old Trafford became one of those viral clips passed around every time a debate sparked about young talent not cutting it in England. So the idea of him returning, not just to the Premier League but potentially to United, feels oddly dissonant. Advertisement There's also the scepticism that comes with good numbers abroad. Nineteen goals in Serie A, yes, but is Serie A's pace and quality comparable? Will he adapt to the pressing intensity? Will he track back like Amorim wants his forwards to? Or is this another Memphis Depay scenario waiting to happen, all promise, minimal delivery? Even the reported fee gives cause for pause. £45 million is a considerable amount for a striker who has not yet delivered in English football. United have had their fingers burned enough times to hesitate. Wout Weghorst, Odion Ighalo, even Hojlund for now, all brought in to fill a No 9 void and all still leaving fans craving more. If Kean signs, he will need to hit the ground sprinting, not just running. Old memories will not fade easily. But if he can match the Serie A sharpness with Premier League application, he might just surprise supporters.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store