Manchester United agrees personal terms with Matthijs de Ligt as Leny Yoro transfer sought

Manchester United has reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt over personal terms. That comes amid a center-back spree that could still see other big names arrive.

The German giant is asking for $54m (£42m/€50m) for the 24-year-old Dutch international. Man United is hopeful of finalizing the deal, per the Manchester Evening News, having also submitted a bid for Liverpool target Leny Yoro.

United's quest to sign two center-backs continues, with a second bid of up to $64m (£50m/€59m) rejected for Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite. The Toffees value Branthwaite as high as $102m (£80m/€95m), after he enjoyed an excellent Premier League season.

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With Raphael Varane released and Victor Lindelof on the chopping block due to his contract expiring next year, United is keen to bolster its defense. The club has an existing relationship with De Ligt's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, who has been a regular visitor at the club's training complex over the past year.

De Ligt previously played under current United manager Erik ten Hag at Ajax before making an $87m (£68m/€80m) move to Juventus in 2019. Currently, five ex-Ajax players are part of the United squad, four of whom joined after Ten Hag's appointment in May 2022.

United had scouted De Ligt during his teenage years at Ajax. But a move was vetoed by the then head of youth recruitment, Derek Langley.

Despite being part of the Netherlands squad at the European Championship, De Ligt hasn't featured in any of their five matches in Germany.

United's last dealing with Bayern was for the loan deal of Marcel Sabitzer in January last year. Its last purchase from the German side was Bastian Schweinsteiger back in 2015.

Meanwhile, it has submitted a bid for Yoro, which has been accepted by Lille. But Real Madrid still looks to be the overwhelming favorite to seal a move for the teenage talent, whose preference is firmly in favor of the Bernabeu.

Liverpool.com says: Manchester United means business in defense this summer. While Liverpool has seemingly assessed the situation and decided it's not worth putting in a bid for Yoro just yet, given his determination to move to Real Madrid, the Old Trafford outfit has made its move.

That would be a real coup, although it looks unlikely to happen. And while De Ligt would be a reasonable addition too, it looks to be more in the classic Man United mold of a big name on big wages. Liverpool would not be too worried by that signing, certainly when compared to Yoro (or indeed Branthwaite).

This article was written with the help of AI tools.