Manchester United are interested in signing one of Erik ten Hag's former players this summer, according to reports.
Manchester United transfer rumours
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is embarking on his first summer transfer window with Manchester United. Despite the club finishing 8th in the Premier League table last time out, the life-long Red Devils fan has opted to keep Erik ten Hag in the dugout heading into the 2024/25 campaign and is expected to offer the Dutchman a new contract.
Naturally, this means Ten Hag and co. are expected to have a busy summer transfer window as they aim to finally return to the top of English football over a decade on from their last domestic league triumph.
Man Utd are interested in signing Rennes youngster Desire Doue, while they have also been linked with a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka and are thought to be interested in signing Maximilian Beier.
At present, however, it appears centre-back is a priority area for the Manchester outfit. United have reportedly agreed terms with Everton and England centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite over a contract worth between £150-160k a week, but have recently seen a £45m offer for the stopper knocked back by Everton.
Manchester United interested in former Erik ten Hag player
Outside of Branthwaite, Manchester United have been credited with an interest in two more centre-backs in the form of OGC Nice and French defender Jean-Clair Todibo and Lille centre-back Leny Yoro.
Now, however, a fresh name has been tipped to make the move to Old Trafford this summer. The player in question is Bayern Munich and Netherlands centre-back Matthijs De Ligt, who previously worked with Ten Hag when the pair were plying their trade at Ajax.
De Ligt left the Dutch giants for Juventus in 2019, where former Bianconeri defender Andrea Barzagli praised him for his "incredible" potential. However, he seemingly holds a good relationship with his former manager, backing him to succeed at Manchester United in 2022.
“He is someone who loves his job and he loves to work,” said De Ligt. “He’s really into the details. This makes him a really good trainer. He has a lot of qualities (to succeed). We will have to see how he goes.”
That existing relationship could prove crucial this summer as CaughtOffside is reporting that Manchester United and Bayern Munich have shown a mutual interest in completing a transfer for De Ligt. However, negotiations are not advanced at this stage, with all contact taking place through intermediaries for the time being.
De Ligt, who made 30 appearances for Bayern Munich across all competitions in the 2023/24 season, is currently earning around £260,000 a week on a deal which runs until 2027.
