MX23RW : Tuesday, December 17 10:20:48| >> :60:1567:1567:

Man United's proposed move for 24-year-old is said to be "open but not imminent"

Deal or no deal? Romano delivers update on Man United's pursuit of 24-year-old
© Reuters
Manchester United's proposed move for Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt has been placed on hold, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that Manchester United's proposed move for Matthijs de Ligt has been placed on hold while the club focus on outgoings.

The Red Devils announced the arrival of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna last weekend, with the Netherlands international becoming the club's first signing of the INEOS era.

Man United are also closing in on a move for Leny Yoro, with the Lille centre-back heading to Manchester on Wednesday to undergo a medical with the 20-time English champions.

Erik ten Hag's side have also been heavily linked with De Ligt, with negotiations allegedly taking place with Bayern Munich over a move for the Dutchman during the summer market.

However, reports of a switch to Old Trafford have gone cold over the last 48 hours, with Man United instead focusing on wrapping up a deal for 18-year-old Yoro.

Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt in October 2023.© Reuters

Will Man United still sign De Ligt this summer?

Romano has said that Man United's proposed move for De Ligt is currently "open but not imminent", with the club needing to sell some more players before bringing in another centre-back.

Willy Kambwala recently departed to make the move to Villarreal, while Raphael Varane is no longer at the club, with the Frenchman's huge contract expiring at the end of June.

Man United are believed to be actively looking to sell Victor Lindelof this summer, while West Ham United are said to be in talks over a £15m deal for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Romano has claimed that the Red Devils are currently 'thinking about outgoings', but Yoro's imminent arrival does not mean that the club are no longer interested in De Ligt.

Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt on June 16, 2024© Reuters

De Ligt is said to have agreed personal talks with Man United

"Some fans have been asking me about what this deal [Leny Yoro] means for the interest in Matthijs de Ligt – for now, the discussions have been positive and advanced but now for Man United it's time to think about the outgoings," Romano wrote in his Daily Briefing for CaughtOffside.

"Man United still want one more centre-back but selling players is absolutely crucial for them, this is why the Matthijs de Ligt story remains open but not imminent now."

De Ligt is believed to have already come to an agreement with Man United over personal terms, while the centre-back has allegedly had direct contact with Ten Hag, who he played under at Ajax.

The 24-year-old has made 73 appearances for Bayern since arriving from Juventus in the summer of 2022, including 30 outings in all competitions during the 2023-24 campaign.

However, Bayern are said to be open to selling De Ligt this summer, with the Munich giants thought to be willing to accept an offer of between £35m and £40m.

ID:548412:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5744:
Written by
Matt Law

Click here for more stories about Fabrizio Romano

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Lille defender Leny Yoro on May 06, 2024 (IMAGO)
Read Next:
'Baffled' - Everton react as Man United close in on Yoro
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool15113131131836
2Chelsea16104237191834
3Arsenal1686229151430
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest168442119228
5Manchester CityMan City168352823527
6Bournemouth167452421325
7Aston Villa167452425-125
8Fulham166642422224
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton166642625124
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1672736191723
11Brentford167273230223
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle166552321223
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd166462119222
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham165472129-819
15Crystal Palace163761721-416
16Everton153661421-715
17Leicester CityLeicester163582134-1314
18Ipswich TownIpswich162681628-1212
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1623112440-169
20Southampton1612131136-255


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!