Manchester United are interested in bringing Matthijs de Ligt to Old Trafford but could well have been handed a blow to their hopes of landing the Dutchman.
Erik ten Hag’s team has completed two transfers this summer as United seeks to surpass their worst Premier League finish of eighth from last season. Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro have joined from Bologna and Lille, respectively, as Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to revamp the squad in his initial summer as a minority owner.
Several players have also left the team. Alvaro Fernandez, Donny van de Beek, Willy Kambwala, and Mason Greenwood have been sold, while Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial left when their contracts ended.
Looking ahead, United is focused on bolstering their central defense. They are considering signing Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich’s De Ligt to strengthen this area of the squad.
Reports indicate that United have reached a personal agreement with De Ligt regarding a transfer to Old Trafford. However, their two offers for Branthwaite from Everton have been turned down.
Everton rejected United’s initial offer of £35 million plus add-ons for Branthwaite and a subsequent bid of £45 million plus £5 million in extras. Everton is reportedly asking up to £80 million for the England international.
In contrast, Bayern Munich values De Ligt at £42.4 million plus add-ons, making him a potentially more affordable option than Branthwaite. De Ligt has previously worked with United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, at Ajax before moving to Juventus in 2019.
However, United’s pursuit of De Ligt may be complicated by a recent injury to another Bayern defender, which has increased the need for De Ligt by Vincent Kompany.
New signing Hiroki Ito has suffered a broken foot during a pre-season friendly, and sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed that he will be out for an extended period.
Eberl stated, “Yes, his foot is broken. He will be out for a long time.”
Ito, who joined Bayern from Stuttgart in June, has appeared in only two games for the club so far.
De Ligt may now be more crucial to Bayern following Ito’s injury, potentially making the club less inclined to sell him to United. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Bayern plans to sign at least one more center-back, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah being their top target.
Given these developments, United’s management might need to reassess their options for strengthening the central defense.
