Manchester United suffer transfer blow as Ryan Gravenberch closes in on Bayern Munich switch from Ajax
According to football journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is set to swap Ajax Amsterdam for Bayern Munich in the upcoming summer transfer window, with talks reaching the final stages of negotiation.
He will join the German giants alongside teammate Noussair Mazraoui, as the Bavarians manage to nearly complete a double swoop from the Eredivisie in order to bolster their squad and once again compete for all major trophies next term.
This news will come as a blow to Manchester United, who were keen on signing Gravenberch in the summer as part of their aim to add midfield reinforcements to the first team and shore up the middle of the pitch (h/t The Sun).
Only 19, the starlet has been a regular feature for Ajax this season, as he attempts to lead his club to a hat-trick of Eredivisie titles, which will all be won under their manager Erik ten Hag‘s tenure in Amsterdam.
Blow for ten Hag
The news about the Dutch player’s imminent move to Bayern will come as a huge blow for his current boss ten Hag – not just for losing him from the Ajax squad in the summer, but also from the sights of United as he prepares to take over as the new incoming manager at Old Trafford.
With the Red Devils losing midfield options ahead of the new term with Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic’s likely departures in the summer transfer window, Gravenberch could have been the ideal young replacement for the pair, but it looks like it was not meant to be.
ten Hag and Gravenberch worked closely this year in what has been the teenager’s breakout campaigns, and the player’s move to United along with ten Hag could have solved some issues in midfield for the Manchester side.
Fred and Scott McTominay make up the other midfield options for the club, but the pair have not proven that they are capable of taking their game to the next level and running the show against stronger opposition.
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Given this, and Gravenberch’s unavailability in the summer, United would perhaps be forced to look elsewhere for midfield reinforcements. Thus far, they have been linked with talents such as Monaco’s Aurélien Tchouaméni, West Ham’s Declan Rice, and Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips.
Another option for ten Hag is to utilise Donny van de Beek, who will return to Old Trafford in the summer when his loan spell at Everton expires. The pair have a great understanding from their time together at Ajax, where they reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2017. Perhaps it would finally hand the Dutch player a chance to shine for his new club, despite signing in 2020.
