Matthijs de Ligt faces uncertain future at Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich desperately needed a center-back in the winter transfer window. After failing with a bid for Radu Dragusin, Bayern moved swiftly to sign Eric Dier from Tottenham Hotspur. The English defender has signed a six-month-long contract with an option to extend it by a year.

It is quite clear that Dier is a stop-gap signing in central defense for Die Roten. The record champions are expected to sign another central defender in the summer. Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo is the top target for Rekordmeister. The Uruguayan defender ruled out a winter move, but Bayern will definitely test Barcelona’s resolve in the summer.

The arrival of a defender like Araujo may lead to the departure of Matthijs de Ligt at Bayern. According to Sky Sports in Germany, De Ligt is not happy with his situation under Thomas Tuchel. The Dutch defender is no longer the first-choice option in the heart of defense for Bayern.

Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano have played consistently in central defense for Bayern this season. De Ligt will get a chance to cement his place in the team since Kim Min-jae is away at the Asian Cup. However, the arrival of another top central defender may push De Ligt further down the pecking order.

Meanwhile, SportBild is also reporting that De Ligt’s relationship with Tuchel is strained. He faces an uncertain future at Bayern. The Bavarian club will look to recoup the majority of the fee they paid to Juventus in the summer if De Ligt pushes for a transfer.

Sky Sports revealed that Manchester United could be a definite option for De Ligt in the summer if Erik Ten Hag is the head coach of the first team next season. The Dutch coach worked with De Ligt at Ajax, so it is not surprising to see him linked with a move to Manchester United.

Matthijs de Ligt performed well for Bayern during his debut season. He played regularly under Julian Nagelsmann last season. The Dutch defender also got an ample amount of game time under Tuchel at the end of the campaign, but it does look like things are not the same right now. Nevertheless, a lot can happen in the next five months. If De Ligt finds a way to cement his place in the team during Ruckrunde, he may end up staying in Munich for one more season.

For the time being, De Ligt is nursing a minor injury. The Dutch defender was not spotted in training this week, but he is expected to be back in a few days. Matthijs de Ligt needs to be fit for the remainder of the season to remove uncertainty over his future at the club.