Manchester United are reportedly ready to pay the full asking price for an "amazing" player this summer, with the deal potentially happening in the "coming days".
Man Utd transfer news
The Sir Jim Ratcliffe era at Old Trafford has felt positive to date, not least because the Red Devils won the FA Cup within months of him becoming part-owner of his boyhood club. Joshua Zirkzee has been signed from Bologna in a big-money deal, which is a further plus point, and more new faces are expected in the next month or so.
One exciting rumour that has emerged has seen Dani Olmo linked with a summer switch to United, following an excellent Euro 2024 campaign that saw him finish joint-top of the scoring charts. The 26-year-old shone for eventual winners Spain, bagging five goal contributions (three goals and two assists) and proving to be a seamless replacement for the injured Pedri.
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been largely viewed as an alternative option to Zirkzee, meaning a move now may not happen, but a summer exit for the Englishman cannot be ruled out, and United could still feel that another attacking option is needed, allowing Rasmus Hojlund to mature as a player at his own speed.
Xavi Simons has also been backed to join the Red Devils between now and the start of next season, with Paris Saint-Germain potentially keen on loaning him out again. The 21-year-old helped the Netherlands reach the semi-finals of the Euros, while last season, he scored eight goals and registered 11 assists in the Bundesliga, thriving on loan at RB Leipzig.
Man Utd ready to pay asking price for "amazing" player
According to a new update from Fussball News [via Sport Witness], Manchester United have opened "harmonious and very constructive" talks for Matthijs de Ligt and are willing to pay the full asking price of £42m for him this summer.
While certain aspects of the deal still need to be ironed out, like the structure of the payments, the update states that a move to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich could be sealed in the "coming days" with a fee basically agreed upon.
This is all extremely encouraging regarding United's move for De Ligt, suggesting that a deal will go through without too many issues this week. If the Bayern star ends up being the Red Devils' preferred choice to partner Lisandro Martinez moving forward, he could be a wonderful addition, even if his stock has fallen a little in recent years.
Remarkably, the Dutchman is still only 24 years of age, despite being a key starter for Ajax when they reached the Champions League semi-finals five years ago, and compatriot Nathan Ake thinks highly of him, saying last September: "It's amazing what he is doing at the moment. He's quick, strong for his age, very good in the air and on the ball he is very good. He scores so many from set-pieces so he's got a lot of the same attributes as Van Dijk."
Appearances
22
Starts
16
Goals
2
Assists
0
Clearances per game
2.4
Aerial duel wins per game
1.9
Pass completion rate
94%
There may be some United fans who would rather see Jarrad Branthwaite arrive instead of De Ligt, among others, but this could be a perfect chance for him to show why he has been thought of as one of the leading centre-backs of his generation for a number of years.
