Matthijs De Ligt open to Man Utd transfer in summer

Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt is expected to leave the club at the end of the season and Manchester United are one of his ‘favourite’ destinations, according to L’Equipe via Fichajes.

The 24-year-old defender has been linked with a move away from Bayern in recent months with Man Utd, PSG and Barcelona among the clubs strongly linked.

Fichajes are citing a report from the print version of L’Equipe as saying that De Ligt has rejected the possibility of joining PSG as he favours a move to Man Utd or Barcelona if he does leave Bayern in the summer.

The Dutch international defender joined Bayern Munich for a fee of around £68 million in the summer of 2022. He is now valued at around £55m but it remains to be seen how much Bayern will want if he’s to leave at the end of the season.

The Dutch international has a contract with the German club until the summer of 2027 and therefore Bayern Munich are under no pressure to let him leave for a knockdown price.

Top player

Manchester United need to bring in a top-class defender and the 24-year-old would be a superb acquisition. He knows Erik ten Hag’s system well having played under him at Ajax, and he should be able to fit in quickly and make an instant impact.

Apart from his qualities as a central defender, De Ligt is excellent on the ball and his distribution skills would help Manchester United build from the back.

The defender is still relatively young and he is likely to improve with experience and coaching. He could develop into one of the best defenders in the league with the right guidance. Even if Manchester United have to be a premium for him, the move could prove to be value for money in the long run.

Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire are being tipped to leave Old Trafford in the summer so they’ll need to bring in replacements, and De Ligt would be a terrific signing if they could pull it off.