Manchester United will reportedly consider an approach for Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt should their pursuit of Jarrad Branthwaite fall through.
The Red Devils tabled an offer worth in the region of £45 million for the English defender but this was promptly rejected by Everton.
The Merseyside club are believed to be holding out for a fee around £75 million for Branthwaite, citing previous deals for Harry Maguire, Wesley Fofana and Josko Gvardiol in recent years as the benchmark for their valuation. United have no intention of meeting this demand, however.
INEOS, who gained full control over the sporting operation of United earlier this year, had designated Branthwaite as a key target for the first stage of their revolution at Old Trafford. But the club’s new rulers had been hoping to leverage Everton’s precarious financial position to drive down the price for the 21-year-old, having made it clear United would not spend that amount on a single player this summer.
As such, negotiations appear to be at a standstill with neither side willing to progress further until a concession is made by the other.
This deadlock has been further exacerbated by potential deals for Dominic Calvert-Lewin (to Newcastle) and Lewis Dobbin (to Aston Villa) – both academy graduates whose sales would constitute pure profit for the Toffees. If these deals are complete, it would drastically reduce the pressure on Everton to sell Branthwaite.
This means United are realistically going to have look elsewhere to strengthen their defensive unit with a former pupil of Erik ten Hag emerging as the “real alternative to Branthwaite”.
Nick Semeraro, an Italian journalist, reveals De Ligt has firmly emerged as the back-up option should a move for Branthwaite falter, and “exploratory contacts” have been made with Bayern Munich “in the last few hours.”
🚨🔴
Matthjs De Ligt is the real alternative to Branthwaite for #MUFC.
Exploratory contacts in the last few hours. Bavarians ask for £42M.
The Dutch footballer can leave Bayern and Ten Hag knows him well from his Ajax days. pic.com/W4HMUyydhI
— Nick Semeraro (@SemeraroNick) June 23, 2024
Tweet: “Matthjs De Ligt is the real alternative to Branthwaite for MUFC. Exploratory contacts in the last few hours. Bavarians ask for £42M. The Dutch footballer can leave Bayern and Ten Hag knows him well from his Ajax days.”
Semeraro further reveals a price tag of £42 million has been set by Bayern executives for their centre-back.
De Ligt is well-known by Ten Hag with the pair having combined brilliantly during their shared time in Amsterdam during one of Ajax’s most successful periods in the modern era.
The Dutch defender is also the ideal compliment to Lisandro Martinez, another former Ajax pupil, given his physical and aerial strength, as well as his preference to play on the right side of defence.
While De Ligt’s wage demands are likely to be higher than Branthwaite’s, the fact his club’s asking price is over £30 million cheaper demonstrates why United may be tempted to abandon a pursuit of the young Englishman in favour of the more experienced Dutchman.
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