Bayern Munich set price for Matthijs de Ligt amidst interest from Manchester United

The last couple of days have seen significant developments in the potential departure of Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich. After two seasons, Bayern are ready to part ways with the Dutch defender to trim the wage bill and make space for the new signings.

Manchester United have shown concrete interest in De Ligt until now. According to De Telegraaf in the Netherlands, Manchester United are close to agreeing terms for a five-year contract with Matthijs de Ligt. The Premier League club has also started talks with Bayern over a transfer.

According to Sky Sports in Germany, Bayern want at least €50 million, excluding bonuses for Matthijs de Ligt. It has been previously reported that Manchester United are willing to pay a fee closer to €35 million for the Dutch defender. Since all parties are keen on completing this transfer, a compromise is expected to be reached in the coming days.

De Ligt has consistently insisted that he wants to stay in Munich. However, the signing of Hiroki Ito and the potential arrival of Jonatha Tah from Bayer Leverkusen have forced Die Roten’s hands to sell De Ligt. The Dutch defender is also not interested in staying in Munich if he is not getting regular game time.

A move to Manchester United will give De Ligt the opportunity to work again with Erik Ten Hag. The Dutch defender enjoyed success with Ten Hag at Ajax before sealing a big move to Juventus in 2020. De Ligt is expected to start regularly at Manchester United as he will replace Raphael Varane in the squad.

De Ligt had a brief spell at Bayern. The Bavarian club had signed him in 2022 from Juventus for €67 million to be part of their long-term vision. He was one of the best center-backs in the Bundesliga during his debut season. Injuries ravaged the first half of the second season in Bavaria, but De Ligt bounced back brilliantly during the Ruckrunde. The Dutch defender still ended up making 30 appearances for Bayern across all competitions.

Apart from De Ligt, Bayern are also open to listening offers for Dayot Upamecano. The French international was the fourth-choice defender during the second half of last season. Upamecano will talk to Vincent Kompany and Bayern after the Euros to get clarity about his role in the squad. Elsewhere, Bayern are preparing a second bid for Jonathan Tah. The German defender has no interest in signing a contract extension at Bayer Leverkusen, which forces the German Champions to part ways with him this summer.