Revealed: De Ligt to Man Utd transfer talks 'at a standstill'

James Shearman

• Updated: 1 Aug 2024 22:32 BST
• 3 min read

Transfer talks between Manchester United and Bayern Munich over Matthijs de Ligt are 'at a standstill'.

That is according to Sky Germany, who reported earlier today that there is still a nearly €15 million difference in the two club's valuations of the player.

De Ligt has become surplus to requirements at Bayern in recent times and is thought to be keen on a move to Old Trafford.

READ MORE: Latest Man Utd transfer rumours

Meanwhile, United boss Erik ten Hag hopes to reunite with the defender who he enjoyed success with at Ajax.

The Red Devils will need to fork out more than €50m to complete the deal so it is no wonder that they are hesitant.

That is not because the Dutchman is not worth that much, but rather that they have already spent €62m on Leny Yoro and €42.5m on Joshua Zirkzee in this window.

Do Man Utd need De Ligt?

The signing of Yoro led many to believe that United would no longer be in the race for De Ligt.

However, Yoro's lack of experience means that it would be unfair to expect him to hit the ground running.

Albeit he is a supremely talented defender, the Frenchman is just 18 years of age and will take time to adjust to the Premier League.

Not only that but he has suffered an injury in pre-season which will keep him out for a few months.

So, the Red Devils definitely do need to add another central defender to their ranks.

De Ligt would be an excellent partner for Lisandro Martinez, leaving Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire as very capable backups.