De Ligt to Man Utd? Romano reveals the state of play

Tom Weber

• Updated: 2 Mar 2024 13:25 GMT
• 3 min read

Fabrizio Romano has revealed that discussions around Matthijs de Ligt's future have gone quiet in light of Thomas Tuchel's sacking.

The Dutch centre-back has been the subject of intense transfer speculation in recent months. Not favoured by Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, De Ligt role in the team was reduced to that of fourth-choice centre-back, with the former Ajax man only playing regularly while Kim Min-jae was at the Asian Cup.

The 24-year-old was naturally not particularly happy about this state of affairs and reportedly told the Bayern Munich hierarchy that he would be considering his options in the summer unless the situation changes. This, of course, alerted Europe's elite given De Ligt's pedigree in the game.

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The likes of Arsenal and Man Utd were said to be keeping a close eye on the situation as both are keen to bolster their backlines in the summer, with the latter in particular trying to overhaul their entire defence. Erik ten Hag wants to use the funds put at his disposal by Sir Jim Ratcliffe to upgrade his current defensive options, though Fabrizio Romano has played down suggestions that former captain Harry Maguire could be sold.

Romano on De Ligt

The Italian transfer expert has also provided an update on the situation of De Ligt. Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano insisted that things had gone quiet in light of the news that Tuchel would depart the German record champions at the end of the season.

“Matthijs de Ligt will wait to understand who is going to be the new manager at Bayern Munich before deciding anything regarding his future. Everything is open with Tuchel leaving so it’s very quiet now."

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"There have been rumours about Barcelona and Man United but nothing is serious or concrete with any clubs in Spain or England yet. Many clubs are attentive to his situation but nothing else."