Maxim Mateáš, an 18-year-old Slovakian Slovan Bratislava youth international who was previously linked with Tottenham, has signed a three-year contract with FC Košice. The central midfielder made the move after he struggled for opportunities in the first team under former coach Vladimír Weiss st. and played mostly for the second-division reserve team. Following Weiss’s departure, Slovan's general director, Ivan Kmotrík Jr., unsuccessfully tried to persuade Mateáš to stay and try again under the new coach. Kmotrík later explained that Mateáš did not get enough chances, was looking for a different challenge, and believed he could not secure a place in the first team. In the 2025/2026 season, Mateáš made 27 appearances for the reserve team, scoring 2 goals and providing 5 assists. The Slovakia U20 international has one cap and a current market value, which Transfermarkt reports as €350k. He was also linked with Spartak Trnava.