Manchester United’s summer window could keep getting better with the signing of Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
What’s going on with de Ligt?
Talks are currently taking place between Manchester United and Bayern Munich in an effort to bolster the Red Devils’ defense.
There is an agreement on personal terms between de Ligt and Manchester United, but the club is hesitant to pay £42m for the 24-year-old, despite spending £52m on Lille defender Leny Yoro, who is considered to be of a lower profile.
Manchester United has made an initial offer of £30m plus £5m in add-ons, but Bayern Munich is dissatisfied with the proposal, given that de Ligt still has three years remaining on his contract.
De Ligt believes that Bayern Munich’s asking price is excessive, especially since the club had previously indicated that they would accept a lower fee.
If Manchester United truly wishes to secure de Ligt’s signature, they will need to increase their offer, as Bayern Munich are likely to walk away from the negotiations otherwise.
de Ligt’s redemption chance
During his time at Ajax, de Ligt was considered a promising young center back with the potential to become world-class. The idea of forming a Dutch partnership with Virgil Van Dijk was thrilling for fans of the Netherlands.
In his last season at Ajax, de Ligt was named captain at just 19 years old, a remarkable achievement. He led Ajax to the Eredivisie title, but their Champions League journey came to a disappointing end in the semi-finals when they squandered a 3-0 aggregate lead against Tottenham Hotspur.
After moving to Juventus the following season, de Ligt faced challenges and struggled to replicate his Ajax form. Eventually, he was transferred to Bayern Munich.
Despite his difficulties, de Ligt’s move to Bayern Munich did not yield the desired results, and he spent most of the recent Euros campaign on the bench for the Netherlands.
A potential move to Old Trafford presents de Ligt with a fresh opportunity to showcase his abilities. At 24 years old, he still has much to offer, and this transfer could be the breakthrough he needs.
