There was a time when Matthijs de Ligt had the world at his feet.
Moves to Juventus and then Bayern Munich transpired after impressive displays for Eredivisie giants Ajax.
Yet, now, the Dutchman is looking down the barrel of permanent exit from Säbener Straße. Former boss Erik ten Hag could take advantage of this new reality, with Manchester United now prepared to pay half of Bayern’s €70m [£59.2m] price tag.
“FC Bayern have to sell players in order to be able to continue purchasing. Erik ten Hag, who is currently negotiating a contract extension with Manchester United, would like to bring in Mathijs de Ligt,” Christian Falk wrote in his exclusive Fact Files column with CaughtOffside.
“Accordingly, ten Hag should be prepared to pay a high transfer fee for de Ligt. Bayern want up to €70m, but Manchester United should only want to pay half.
“The new coach Vincent Kompany wants to rely on other players in defence. In addition to the transfer of Hiroki Ito (from Stuttgart), the Munich team still wants to bring in Jonathan Tah from Leverkusen. Tah is one of the regular players for the German team at the European Championship.”
Bayer Leverkusen are reportedly looking for €40m [£33.8m] for Jonathan Tah’s signature – €20m more than Bayern were prepared to pay. The good news for the Bavarians, however, is that the German national’s current terms are set to expire next summer.
MORE: Exclusive: What Christian Falk has now heard about Bayern and Arsenal target Amadou Onana
Erik ten Hag could instantly upgrade his defence
If Bayern Munich are prepared to sanction the sale of De Ligt, one can’t help but wonder at the opportunity available to the Red Devils.
Playing as the right-sided centre-back, the former Ajax star would arguably represent an instant improvement on current Manchester United defender Harry Maguire (31).
At 24 years of age, too, it’s fair to say that the Munich star could also be a mainstay in United’s backline for potentially a decade.
What has Jamie Carragher said about De Ligt?
Following a run in the Champions League that saw Ajax carve a path to the semi-finals of the competition, Jamie Carragher admitted he’d love to see De Ligt at Anfield.
“I’d love that!” the MNF pundit told the Echo.
“I have never seen such a good defender at 19-years-old. He plays as if he’s 29 and at his peak already.
“You…
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