- 8 hours ago
Man Utd set to purchase ‘cheap’ De Ligt
Jacque Talbot
- Updated: 4 Jul 2024 13:36 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United may come away paying a relatively minuscule fee for Matthijs De Ligt.
Indeed, the Red Devils appear to be closing in on their first summer signing at last. While Chelsea have already snapped up five players, Man Utd have been slow to get off the mark despite the fact that Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants to make two major signings before the start of pre-season.
While there appear to be complications around the deal involving Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, talks with Ligt are looing very positive.
READ MORE: Euro 2024 free transfer star chooses Real Madrid over Man Utd
Bayern Munich are keen to sell as they need to raise funds and the player is happy to reduced his wages to join the Old Trafford club.
Personal terms between De Ligt and Man Utd are not expected to be a problem and the 24-year-old has already given the green light to a potential move, while his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is desperate to land him.
It’s been reported that the overall fee for De Ligt could be as little as €40m, representing a bargain for Man Utd. FootballTransfers’ Estimated Transfer Value algorithm (ETV) ranks the centre-back at €52.8m, so the club would be saving a substantial amount.
Current ETV
Matthijs de Ligt
D (C)
Matthijs de Ligt
D (C)
Bayern
ETV Range
€39.6M - €65.9M
It would be a far cry from the former blueprint of Man Utd, who typically overpay for players. The likes of Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Antony have all come in for considerable fees over the years - while wages have been a significant problem for the Red Devils, too.
Man Utd surprised by De Ligt price
According to Ben Jacobs, Man Utd are pushing the deal for De Ligt as it is much more affordable than they expected and indeed thought possible. Jacobs initially reported that Man Utd were unlikely to make a move for the Dutchman as they simply don't have the budget.
De Ligt worked before with Ten Hag and the player credits his compatriot as the coach who allowed him to flourish as a professional. He plays on the right-side of defence and is likely to be poised next to Lisandro Martinez - another former Ajax player - in the starting XI if he comes in.
