Bayern Munich reject first bid from Manchester United for Matthijs de Ligt

With pre-season training starting at several clubs, the transfer activity is going to pick up in the coming weeks as players look to sort out their futures. Bayern Munich are currently looking to facilitate departures before adding more players to the squad. The Bavarian club has rejected the first substantial offer for one of their star players.

According to Bild’s Christian Falk, Bayern have rejected the first offer from Manchester United for Matthijs de Ligt. The first bid from the Red Devils was worth €30 million fixed fee with €5 million in bonuses. The Bavarian club wants €50 million plus add-ons for the Dutch defender. Both clubs remain in negotiations to reach an agreement.

De Ligt has already given the blessing to a move to Manchester United. The 24-year-old center-back has agreed personal terms with the Premier League side. Bayern are open to selling De Ligt this summer since he is one of their biggest earners.

The departure of De Ligt is necessary for Die Roten to make further signings. The arrival of Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen hinges on what happens with De Ligt in the coming weeks. Uli Hoeness has already warned Max Eberl and Christoph Freund that they need to sell before making further signings. Bayern have already spent significant money on Hiroki Ito, Michael Olise, and Joao Palhinha.

De Ligt’s move to Manchester United has looked far from certain after last week’s developments at the Old Trafford. The Red Devils paid a hefty €70 million fee to sign Leny Yoro from Lille to strengthen their options in central defense. They still have a strong interest in De Ligt but need departures to make space for further defensive signings.

The Dutch defender will report for pre-season training at Sabner Strasse later this month. He is likely to hold talks with the club hierarchy and Vincent Kompany to know about their plans for him. A departure is the most likely outcome, but a move to Manchester United may not take place so soon for De Ligt.

The Premier League side knows Bayern need funds for their overhaul, which allows them to get De Ligt for a reasonable fee. Unless another club comes up with an offer for De Ligt, this transfer is likely to drag on for several weeks, waiting for one of the two clubs to blink first. Bayern will hope for more clubs to join the race for De Ligt to wage a bidding war.