Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is very interested in signing Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt this summer, according to Sky Sport Germany.
The Dutch star joined the Bundesliga champions from Juventus last season but is said to be assessing his options beyond the current season.
De Ligt has played second fiddle to Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano in central defense this season. He is currently certain to start with Min-jae away in the Asian Cup.
However, a summer move is not out of the question. With Thomas Tuchel interested in signing Ronald Araujo, De Ligt fears he could become a fourth-choice centre-back.
Ten Hag is keen on a reunion with De Ligt after working together at Ajax between 2017 and 2019. He could be a top transfer target if he remains United manager this summer.
Man Utd struggling to convince De Ligt
The centre-back has expressed no disappointment at Bayern and remains fully committed to the club.
His agent could be working behind the scenes on a transfer, but that will largely depend on Bayern’s market for a centre-back. Araujo is Tuchel’s top target.
The Uruguayan is an undisputed starter for Barcelona. The Catalan giants may be struggling financially, but he is probably the last player they would consider selling.
With that in mind, we believe De Ligt will continue with Bayern next term. If the club are ready to sell, Ten Haag’s presence alone may not convince the player to move to Old Trafford.
The €65m-rated star may want Champions League football at his next club and that is far from guaranteed with United sitting eight points off the top four as things stand.
If the club finish seventh or eighth in the table, Ten Haag may not be in charge after May. As such, there is much to consider. De Ligt to United seems pure speculation.
Statistics from Transfermarkt.com