Final Matthijs de Ligt to Man United transfer message

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Manchester United's summer transfer window is expected to hot up from now onwards as the Reds enter a new financial year.

United managed to stay within Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) last month but that does not mean Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be complacent regarding the money spent on transfers. Ineos will be aiming to find bargains in the transfer market and one name who could feature in that plan is Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt.

According to reports in Germany, De Ligt's camp has received communication from United regarding a transfer. Sky Deutschland's Florian Plettenberg adding that the Reds are now in contact with Bayern regarding a deal.

READ MORE: United can finally complete £197m transfers

READ MORE: Hojlund's two-word verdict on De Ligt transfer

With plans appearing to be escalating quickly, MEN Sport has asked its United writers for their opinions on signing De Ligt.

Jack Flintham

The switch towards De Ligt as a target this summer shows that United are learning their lessons from years gone by. Instead of being embroiled in a back-and-forth with Everton over Jarrad Branthwaite's valuation, the Reds are moving on and seeing what else is out there.

The Toffees are well within their rights to value Branthwaite at £70m+ but if United have already drawn their line in the sand there is no point sitting around hoping that Everton change their mind. De Ligt has the potential to be a solid bit of business if done at the right price.

Ratcliffe will be wary United still need to add a midfielder and striker to their ranks this summer and De Ligt does still constitute a risk. He has not been at the level he was at with Ajax since joining Bayern and the Reds' offer should reflect this.

But, if anyone is going to get the best out of De Ligt again it will be Ten Hag. Vincent Kompany may end up wishing he never sold him.

Tyrone Marshall

Juventus thought they had a good deal when they signed De Ligt for €75m. Bayern Munich thought they'd got a steal when they spent €67m to sign him three years later. Now, here we are, two years further down the line and United are being tempted by a €50m asking price. There's a pattern emerging here.

You can understand the temptation to sign De Ligt. On the evidence of his Ajax potential that fee looks a steal but he's struggled in Turin and Munich and is now fourth-choice centre-back for the Netherlands. Micky van de Ven has come on ahead of him in two of the three group games and De Ligt is yet to play a minute.

Maybe rekindling that relationship with Ten Hag will get the best out of him once again, but that is exactly what Ineos said they weren't going to do. Having a manager dictating transfer strategy just isn't a plan for long-term success. If the next manager doesn't want De Ligt then you've got problems.

At the fee quoted, there will be a huge groundswell of support towards signing a player who broke so many records as a teenager. That potential remains unfulfilled, however, and there is a reason he available for €25m less than when he left Ajax five years ago. I'm not sure it's a risk worth taking.

George Smith

It was not all that long when De Ligt was bracketed as one of the most promising centre-backs in world football. That status earned him a €75m move to Juventus in 2019, just weeks after he had played his part in Ajax's shock run to the Champions League semi-final.

After 117 appearances in the famous black and white stripes, he joined Bayern Munich in 2022 and has made just 73 appearances since, with injuries often disrupting his chances of progressing. He fell down the pecking order last term, impacted by those aforementioned injury troubles, but was still trusted to start the Champions League semi-final second leg defeat to Real Madrid ahead of Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano, who both started on the bench.

Despite Thomas Tuchel never seeming to fully warm to him, rekindling his relationship with Ten Hag could be the secret to getting his career back on track. At the age of 24, there is most definitely time for him to rediscover his best form.

Arguably playing the best football of his career thus far under Ten Hag, reuniting him with his fellow countryman could be just the ticket. His qualities, too, could compliment the skillset of Lisandro Martinez. If United can agree a price that is both reasonable and sensible, he could be the ideal Raphael Varane successor.

Matthew Abbott

Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt spent mere weeks as teammates at Ajax in the summer of 2019, while Andre Onana made over 100 appearances with the then-teenager in front of him for the Dutch club. United backing Erik ten Hag to get the best out of them again at Old Trafford would be a case of doubling down on their transfer policy of recent seasons as the manager approaches this stay-of-execution season at Old Trafford.

De Ligt is also familiar with the lesser-spotted Tyrell Malacia after playing together with the Netherlands national team. But regardless of whether they rekindle that tandem at Old Trafford after the left back's injury issues, signing De Ligt would see two familiar faces playing ahead of Onana this upcoming season.

Their existing chemistry should allow the team to start the season strong defensively and the central defender to build a partnership with Martinez. The Argentina international has shown an ability to strike up chemistry with Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof since arriving at Old Trafford. De Ligt is arguably more talented than that trio have shown during their time at United, and Martinez may be the man to bring the best out of him.

Tom Doyle

Signing De Ligt is a calculated risk for United: there is a reason Bayern are willing to sell him. The Dutch international has lost his starting role for both club and country, with injuries seeing him miss 20 games in 2023/24. He also missed 28 matches during the 20/21 season with Juventus. The last player United need to replace the injury-prone Raphael Varane is another unreliable centre-back, but there is also a case to be made that De Ligt is worth the risk.

His talent is undeniable, there are few better centre-backs in European football when he's fit and in form, he played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax and would likely adapt well given he is fluent in English and has played in Italy and Germany already. United also badly need a new, affordable centre-back and are not exactly spoilt for choice: Lille's Leny Yoro looks bound for Real Madrid; Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice is out of bounds due to UEFA restrictions regarding Ineos' stakes in both the French club and United, while Everton have resisted United's initial £35m offer for Jarrad Branthwaite.

De Ligt would fit the bill for anything around the £40m mark, provided he's signed on a sensible wage which also makes selling him a realistic prospect. If he joins United and enjoys a successful first season at Old Trafford, he would double that £40m valuation and still only be 24 years old; if not, he will still have a decent resale value and won't have cost the earth. Signing De Ligt is a sensible bet to make at this stage of Ineos' United revolution.

Tom Coley

De Ligt would be a seriously good signing for Manchester United. There may well be reservations over how he developed since leaving Ajax but as a leader from his teenage years and with a still large catalogue of evidence to date, the Dutchman is a top player.

Depending on the price of a deal - anything under £50million would be good considering his age and experience - it is certainly one for United to be all over. He could certainly be part of the heart of Ten Hag's defence next season along with fellow former Ajax players Martinez and Malacia.

There are not that many options for the right money out there for United now. They have made their stance clear on Branthwaite and their position is public. Bayern won't be keen to entertain small offers here, but if De Ligt can be convinced to move to England then it's one that could be transformative for United.

Amie Wilson

Signing De Ligt would be a good move for United - if done at the right price. The fact that Bayern Munich are open to selling him is good news for the club, and should mean that United are not held to ransom over a huge transfer fee.

That could be the case with interest in Everton’s Jarred Branthwaite. The Toffees will be desperate to keep a key player, and will therefore charge a big price.

De Ligt has been in and out of the Bayern team and has reportedly become irritated with the game time he is getting. He will therefore be determined to prove a point wherever he is playing his football in the new season.

The fact that he has previously worked with Erik ten Hag will only be good news too. The Dutchman knows how to get the best out of his former player. If a move does happen, then United fans will be hoping that they see the De Ligt who burst onto the scene at Ajax before his move to Bayern.