Bayern Munich pull out of the race to sign Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt
Ajax captain and defensive star Matthijs de Ligt is unlikely to join Bayern Munich after the German club reportedly pulls out of the race for his signature.
Bayern Munich will likely take significant steps to complete their transfer moves after the current set of international games are over. The Bavarians need at least a couple more top class additions to their squad this summer to move in the right direction under Niko Kovac.
The Bundesliga champions have already addressed their defensive woes by signing Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard. These two France internationals will help provide Die Roten, who shipped in a lot of goals last season, with some much needed stability at the back. There has also been some talk of signing Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax, and Bayern have been linked with the teenager throughout the season.
The latest report from ESPN in this transfer saga suggests that Bayern have opted against making a move for the Dutch defender. Raphael Honigstein’s report insists that the German club wants to invest in other areas of the squad instead of competing with Europe’s elite clubs for De Ligt.
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Bayern have been monitoring De Ligt for the past couple of seasons but have never made a concrete approach to sign him. This transfer would have made sense if Bayern had not completed the deal for Hernandez. They are now looking to balance their options in the central defense by listening to offers for Jerome Boateng this summer.
There is no doubt that De Ligt would have been a fantastic signing for Bayern. The Dutchman is considered one of the best defenders in his age group. Bayern would have to consider selling one of Niklas Sule and Mats Hummels, or even both, in order to accommodate him. This is unlikely to happen, though, as the German defenders were first choice center-backs under Kovac.
Honigstein also provided an update on Bayern’s search for a top quality wide forward. The transfer of Leroy Sane is looking very difficult as the amount of money involved in this deal is huge. This report insists that the Bavarians might instead try to sign Timo Werner from RB Leipzig for this position, as Callum Hudson-Odoi is also close to signing a new contract at Chelsea.
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Lille’s Nicolas Pepe could also be another option for Bayern. The Ivory Coast winger has been heavily linked with Die Roten for some time now. The German champions generally conclude the bulk of their transfer business early, so a forward should be signed by the end of June. It remains to be seen who is the eventual candidate for this position, as Bayern are finding it difficult to sign their top targets.