Bayern Munich have reportedly turned down Manchester United’s €35 million opening bid for Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt, according to Metro UK.
despite securing French centre-back Leny Yoro this summer, Man United are still interested in adding the 24-year-old De Ligt to their squad as replacements for Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala who have left the Old Trafford
Initially, it was believed that the Red Devils would choose between Yoro and De Ligt, but Man United are now attempting to sign both defenders.
Erik ten Hag, United’s manager, is a known admirer of De Ligt, having managed him at Ajax.
However, bringing De Ligt to Old Trafford won’t be straightforward. Bayern Munich has rejected United’s initial offer, which was reportedly just under £30m, falling £15m short of Bayern’s valuation, as reported by BILD.
United remain in negotiations with Bayern and is expected to return with an improved offer. Bayern spent over £70m to sign De Ligt from Juventus in 2022, but the Dutchman’s performance in Germany has not met expectations. Despite being part of the Netherlands squad that reached the Euro 2024 semi-finals, De Ligt did not feature for Ronald Koeman’s side.
Addressing the speculation, Ten Hag said, “It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come. I know Matthijs well and I will not deny that. I wanted to sign him two years ago but at that time he was already very far along to join Bayern Munich, but believe it or not, his name did not come from me in the process [at United].”
Bayern Munich’s honorary president Uli Hoeness also commented on the potential transfer, stating, “It’s possible that the defender will leave. De Ligt is Dutch, and the coach at Manchester United is Dutch. I would have no problem if he stayed. Personally, I would not sell [Dayot] Upamecano.”
United are expected to intensify their efforts to secure De Ligt as they continue to bolster their squad for the upcoming season.
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