- 15 hours ago
Man Utd set to land first signing as Ratcliffe gets ‘agreement expected’ message
Robin Bairner
- 1 Jul 2024 08:20 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United are closing in on their first signing of the summer transfer window and the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era, with a deal for Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt expected imminently.
United have been on a quest to sign a centre-back for weeks but could not meet Everton’s asking price for Jarrard Branthwaite in a deal they hoped to broker by the end of June.
Furthermore, they are set to be beaten to Lille’s Leny Yoro by Real Madrid while Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo will not be touched over fears that a deal with another Ineos-owned club could see the Red Devils kicked out of Europe by UEFA.
READ MORE: Casemiro sparks ‘emergency meeting’ as Man Utd career may not be over
Current ETV
Matthijs de Ligt
D (C)
Bayern
Matthijs de Ligt
D (C)
Bayern
ETV Range
€37.9M - €63.2M
De Ligt may not have been Man Utd’s top choice, but he has always been on Erik ten Hag’s shortlist and it appears that the manager’s former Ajax protegee is now ready to join him in the Premier League.
It now appears it is up to Ratcliffe and his backroom team to get the deal over the line.
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De Ligt transfer quickly gathering pace
A report in De Telegraaf reports that De Ligt has been offered a five-year deal by Man Utd, with some of the finer points of this deal being negotiated with the club. An agreement is expected in this capacity soon.
Ten Hag is said to already have had several telephone conversations with the 24-year-old.
Now it is down to Man Utd and Bayern to find an agreement over the player’s transfer fee.
This may not be a quick process. United have been timid in the transfer market thus far, refusing to get close to Everton’s asking price for Branthwaite.
Reports last week, meanwhile, indicated a big difference between Man Utd’s bid and what Bayern expect for their player.
While FCB are holding out for €70m for a player they signed from Juventus for €67m in 2022, Man Utd were only willing to offer €35m.
De Ligt has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €50.6m, which is virtually the middle ground between Man Utd’s offer and Bayern’s expectations.
