Manchester United are seriously considering a move for Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich

Manchester United are seriously considering a move to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.

The 24-year-old centre-back is seen as an increasingly viable candidate as United’s efforts to strengthen their backline intensifies.

Club-to-club negotiations are yet to take place and there is no certainty that the move will go ahead, however he has emerged as a concrete target.

De Ligt has been on the Old Trafford radar since joining Ajax, with the long-standing admiration continuing when he joined Juventus in 2019 and Bayern three years later.

United’s interest is matched by that of manager Erik ten Hag, who worked alongside De Ligt as Ajax head coach and would welcome a reunion.

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The Netherlands international remains under contract at Bayern until 2027, but the cost of a potential transfer is likely to be more realistic than other options such as Jarrad Branthwaite.

United have made an offer for Branthwaite worth £35m plus £8m in add-ons, which is still on the table despite Everton’s reluctance to sell for less than their asking price of around £70m pounds.

Multiple possibilities are being weighed — Jean-Clair Todibo cannot be recruited from Nice, while the firm favorites for Lille’s Leny Yoro are Real Madrid — and De Ligt’s pursuit is independent of Branthwaite’s.

Whether United are able to secure one or two new players at the heart of their defense will depend on departures, which are needed to generate funding and free up squad space.

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