Bayern Munich agree personal terms with Matthijs De Ligt
It has been a summer of big deals for Bayern Munich. After successfully signing Sadio Mane from Liverpool, the German Champions are looking to strengthen the defense. Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt has emerged as the prime target for Rekordmeister as talks have already started between the two clubs. Meanwhile, the Dutch defender has also given the green light for this transfer to go ahead.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern has a verbal agreement with De Ligt for a five-year deal. The Dutch defender will sign a contract until 2027 if an agreement is reached between the two clubs. The German champions are currently preparing the first bid for De Ligt. The Dutch international will become one of the top earners at Die Roten by signing this deal.
The report from Sky also insists that negotiations between Juventus and Chelsea have stopped since De Ligt only wants a move to Bayern. The German Champions will be making an offer for the Dutch defender in the coming days. Juventus is looking for a fee close to €80-90 million. Die Roten is likely to make an offer lower than the Italian club’s demands.
Sport1 and SportBild have also confirmed that De Ligt is not negotiating with any other club since he has set his heart on the move to Bavaria. Hasan Salihamidzic has already held talks with Juventus officials regarding this transfer this week, and the first bid looks imminent. Meanwhile, Goal in Italy is reporting that talks between two clubs have taken place around the fee of €75M plus €10M/15M in bonuses.
Negotiations for de Ligt have begun – in a good atmosphere! Salihamidzic is now preparing a 1st offer (but much less high than reported in Italy) which will be presented to Juve very soon. Chelsea are out as the player has made it clear that he only wants to join Bayern. @SPORT1
— Kerry Hau (@kerry_hau) July 7, 2022
Julian Nagelsmann has been reportedly pushing for a center-back that can become the leader in the defense. De Ligt fits this profile as the Dutch defender has shown great leadership skills during his time at Ajax. He was captain of the Ajax side that reached the semi-final of the Champions League in 2019.
The Dutch international had a turbulent start to life at Juventus. However, he recovered from a tough start to become one of the best defenders in Serie A. It is not surprising to see Juventus demanding a significant fee since De Ligt’s best years are ahead of him.
De Ligt is unlikely to arrive in time to be on the plane for Bayern’s pre-season tour of the USA. Considering the complex nature of the deal, Die Roten will do well to get this transfer over the line before the second pre-season game against Manchester City on July 22.
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The arrival of De Ligt could lead to a couple of departures from the senior squad. Benjamin Pavard is reportedly facing an uncertain future in Bavaria. Tanguy Nianzou could also go out on loan for next season to get consistent playing. The coming weeks are set to be decisive for Bayern’s defense as they look to sign one of the best young defenders in Europe.