Manchester United are interested in signing Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt, who knows Erik ten Hag from their time together at Ajax.
United need to sign a centre-back this summer after Raphael Varane left upon the expiry of his contract. It was a problem position for Ten Hag last season, with Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire struggling with injuries.
Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite was the first target for United, but the club walked away after their offer worth £43million was rejected. Everton value Branthwaite at £70m – a fee United deemed beyond their budget, which has been restricted by profit and sustainability rules.
That has led them to De Ligt, who could represent a more affordable alternative, and knows Ten Hag’s playing style from Ajax. United’s interest in De Ligt pre-dates Ten Hag’s arrival in 2021 and, although he’s under contract at Bayern until 2027, the club feel he could be a feasible option, according to The Athletic.
United are yet to have contacted Bayern formally to discuss a deal, but he is considered to be a concrete target. The interest in De Ligt is interesting, because it shows Ten Hag’s influence on transfers – something new United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to move away from.
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As Mirror Football reported earlier this month, keeping Ten Hag as manager came with the caveat that recruitment would be handled by others. The Dutchman, who is now in talks over a new contract, has been redefined as a head coach, rather than an old-school manager.
Reports in Germany have conflicted on how much De Ligt might be available for, were Bayern to decide to sell. Bild have suggested that Bayern value De Ligt at €70m (£59.3m), while Sky Sports Germany reported earlier this month that a fee of around €50m (£42m) would get the deal done. Bayern spent €77m (£65.6m) to sign De Ligt from Juventus in July 2022, but his potential exit owes much to his fitness record.
The 24-year-old has struggled with injuries and started just 16 games in the Bundesliga last season. He has made 73 appearances for the club altogether, scoring five goals.
Erik ten Hag is leading the interest in his former Ajax player (Getty Images)De Ligt is currently away with the Netherlands at Euro 2024, but is behind Virgil van Dijk and Stefan De Vrij in the pecking order. Asked about his future recently, he said: “I’ve already said this is not the time for me to think about it.
“We’re playing at the Euros now and that’s very important for me and the national team. That’s why I can’t say now what I think about this situation. But what I can say is that I’ve now played my second season at Bayern – I’m very happy. For now I’m focused on the Euros and then we’ll see what happens.”
Bayern have Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier on the books and are targeting Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer transfer window. Tah could become De Ligt’s replacement, should he decide to leave the Bundesliga champions in the off-season.
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