Manchester United are seriously considering a move to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.
The 24-year-old centre-back is viewed as an increasingly viable candidate as United’s efforts to strengthen their back line intensify.
Club-to-club negotiations are yet to take place and there is no certainty the move will happen, however he has emerged as a concrete target.
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De Ligt has been on the Old Trafford radar ever since coming through at Ajax, with the long-standing admiration continuing when he joined Juventus in 2019 and Bayern three years later.
United’s interest is matched by that of manager Erik ten Hag, who worked alongside De Ligt as Ajax head coach and would welcome a reunion.
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The Netherlands international remains under contract at Bayern until 2027 but the cost of a potential transfer is likely to be more realistic than other options such as Jarrad Branthwaite.
United made a proposal for Branthwaite worth £35million plus £8m in add-ons, which is still on the table despite Everton’s reluctance to sell lower than their asking price of around £70m.
Multiple possibilities are being weighed up — Jean-Clair Todibo cannot be recruited from Nice, while the firm favourites for Lille’s Leny Yoro are Real Madrid — and the pursuit of De Ligt is independent to that of Branthwaite.
Whether United are able to secure one or two new players at the heart of their defence will depend on departures, which are needed to generate finances and free up squad space.
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(Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
