Alexander Fox | PlaNet Fox from Pixabay"/>Matthijs de Ligt seems to be fed up with life at Bayern Munich and Premier League side Manchester United could be his next destination.
De Ligt joined Bayern in the summer of 2022 but under Thomas Tuchel, the central defender clearly has no future at the club. This season, he’s only four league games for Bayern and the German side are willing to cash in on him, even during the ongoing transfer window.
The defender is not willing to play as the backup option which is why he wants to leave with Erik Ten Hag eager to bring him into the Man United squad. This is not the first time United have wanted to sign the defender as a few years ago, Jose Mourinho refused to sign De Ligt due to overweight concerns.
Matthijs de Ligt is out of contract at the club in 2027 and his current market value is €65 million so there’s no way Manchester United will be able to sign him during the January window. Bayern want a massive offer for the 24-year-old and there’s no way any major club will want to spend around €80-85 million during the middle of the season.
However, United are planning to get rid of Varane, Lindelof and even Harry Maguire at the end of this season, following which a move for Matthijs de Ligt will be much more feasible for the EPL side.
Varane’s constant injuries have seen him fall down the pecking order this campaign and even though De Ligt has not been able to replicate his form from his Ajax days, the Netherlands defender will any day be an upgrade to the ageing Frenchman.
Lisandro Martinez is back from injury and he is going to remain in central defence for the next couple of seasons and the 22-year-old Matthijs de Ligt can become the long-term partner to the Argentine.
He left Ajax with a lot of hype but his career graph has not taken off since then. Tuchel clearly does not trust the centre-back but he’s still just 24 years old and has plenty of time to improve. Also, Ten Hag has previously worked with him so the manager knows how to bring out the best in him.
Manchester United will get rid of Evans, Varane, Lindelof and possibly Maguire so Ten Hag will need to bring in at least two centre-backs during the summer. Apart from Matthijs de Ligt, the Red Devils are being linked with defenders like Jarrad Branthwaite and Jean-Clair Todibo and amongst these names, the Bayern man seems to be the safest option.
