Manchester United have held talks with the representatives of Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, according to reports.
The Red Devils are looking to strengthen Erik ten Hag’s backline after Raphael Varane’s departure on a free transfer, and have been strongly linked with Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite and Nice’s Jean-Clair Todibo.
De Ligt’s name has also been regularly discussed in gossip columns amid an uncertain future at Bayern. The Dutchman was in and out of the side under former manager Thomas Tuchel and is understood to be unhappy with his standing in Bavaria.
90min previously revealed that United have baulked at the prospect of signing De Ligt, with the finances of the deal looking unfavourable. But with Everton refusing to budge on their £70m valuation of Branthwaite, despite PSR concerns, and Todibo unattainable because of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership of Nice, a rethink may be required as Ten Hag looks to take United forward after their worst-ever Premier League finish.
Multiple sources report that United have engaged in talks with De Ligt’s camp over moving to Old Trafford, and the 24-year-old is said to be interested in the move even though Champions League football will not be on offer next season.
Instead, United will compete in the Europa League – qualification they achieved through winning the FA Cup, not because of their eighth-place Premier League finish.
De Ligt has twice been transferred for extraordinary amounts of money having graduated from Ajax’s famed academy. Juventus snapped him up on a five-year deal in 2019, paying the Dutch giants close to €75m, and three years later he cost Bayern up to €77m.
United would likely have to fork out a significant sum of money to persuade Bayern to sell, though the Bavarian giants are prepared to do a deal if the right sum is offered. It’s unlikely United will pay over the odds though, given they have other areas of the squad that they want to strengthen.
Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee is a key target as competition for Rasmus Hojlund is sought, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte has emerged as a potential successor to Casemiro, who may be leaving the club this summer to head to the cash-rich Saudi Pro League.