Manchester United have opened talks with Bayern Munich over the potential transfer of Matthijs de Ligt, who is valued by the Bundesliga giants at €50m (£42m), Soccernet.football understands.
Both clubs are looking to strengthen their back lines after having disappointing seasons, with Bayern already recruiting Hiroki Ito from VFB Stuttgart and looking to strike a deal for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah.
With the likes of Kim Min-Jae, Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Hernandez still within their defensive ranks, de Ligt is expected to be allowed to leave if the right offer arrives with reports suggesting Bayern will entertain offers around €50 million for the Dutchman.
According to the Athletic, The Red Devils have now opened ‘formal talks’ with the Bavarians over a potential deal for the former Ajax defender, although no bid has been submitted yet as things stand.
Bayern’s asking price is below the £70m that Everton are demanding for another United target, Jarrad Branthwaite with the Red Devils already seeing a bid exceeding £40m rejected for the Toffees star.
United boss Erik ten Hag, who previously worked with De Ligt at Ajax, is reportedly eager for a reunion. However, club officials have been monitoring the Dutch defender since before Ten Hag’s move to Old Trafford.
It is expected that the Red Devils will have no problems agreeing personal terms with the 24-year-old but whether they can meet the demands of Bayern Munich over a transfer fee remains to be seen.
United’s spending power this summer will depend heavily on departures as they need to generate finances and free up space within the squad with the likes of Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood and Casemiro all available for the right price.