Matthijs de Ligt on Manchester United radar if pursuit of Jarrad Branthwaite leads nowhere
According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United may be inclined to explore a move for Matthijs de Ligt of Bayern Munich should they fail to land Jarrad Branthwaite this summer.
The 21-year-old England international is reportedly United’s No.1 target to replace the outgoing Raphaël Varane, but they are not alone in the pursuit of the Everton centre-back. Bayern, meanwhile, are already looking to offload De Ligt just two seasons after bringing him to Munich from Juventus in a €67m deal.
The Netherlands international, of course, rose to fame under Erik ten Hag during their days at Ajax, and was one of the shining stars of the famous side that made the semi-finals of the 2018/19 Champions League. He left Ajax for Juve in 2019 in an €85.5m move.
(Transfer fee source: Transfermarkt)
Both injuries and underwhelming performances on De Ligt’s part are prompting Bayern to take a loss on their heavy investment this summer. The Dutchman’s current €16m-per-year contract is set to keep him at the Allianz Arena until June 2027.
De Ligt is set to remain in Germany over the next month as part of the Netherlands team participating in the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024.
United should consider De Ligt only if he’s available at a reasonable price
After two expensive moves to Juve and Bayern, the still-only-24-year-old De Ligt has been deemed surplus to requirements by two Champions League-playing clubs.
Despite his obvious talent that made him a prominent star very early in his career, it is evidently clear that De Ligt is not growing as quickly as many had expected.
This does not make him a bad player, however, as he had shown hints of his talent across both his Juve and Bayern stints, and then, United are not a Champions League club anyway, so he would be taking a step down if this move were to happen.
United should try everything they can in their pursuit of Jarrad Branthwaite, but if that move does not happen, they should go for the known-by-Ten-Hag De Ligt only if Bayern are ready to take a heavy loss on him and offer him for less than €50 million.
More Manchester United News-
- Manchester United failed in 11th-hour attempt to hijack Premier League rival’s move for 26-year-old defender
- 25-year-old Manchester United target is 100% leaving his club, says Fabrizio Romano
- Galatasaray launch double transfer bid for controversial Manchester United duo
One must not rule out a one-season loan either, which would also work for all parties involved.
