Man Utd set timeline for De Ligt signing as Bayer Leverkusen star eyed in sensational double deal

Manchester United have decided when they want to have a deal for Matthijs de Ligt wrapped up by, while a respected German journalist has detailed their interest in a Bayer Leverkusen star.

Man Utd have set their sights on Bayern Munich defender De Ligt after being told by UEFA they cannot sign Jean-Clair Todibo, due to the fact he plays for one of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ other clubs, Nice. De Ligt has been on Bayern’s books since July 2022 but is open to a summer move due to competition for places from the likes of Kim Min-jae, Dayot Upamecano and even Eric Dier.

After expressing their interest in De Ligt, Man Utd soon discovered that they would face competition for his signing from Paris Saint-Germain. But the Netherlands star decided to give his priority to Man Utd, and the two parties have since agreed a five-year contract.

Ratcliffe and other Man Utd chiefs have held several rounds of talks with Bayern as they try to finalise a deal. So far, Man Utd have yet to meet Bayern’s asking price, which is understood to be £42million, though the transfer does not appear to be too far off completion.

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As per Fabrizio Romano, Man Utd are putting all their effort towards landing De Ligt after having announced the arrival of striker Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna.

CaughtOffside, meanwhile, state that Man Utd want to get De Ligt’s capture over the line in the next week. This means Man Utd fans could see the centre-back in the club’s new shirt by Monday July 22, or perhaps even earlier.

De Ligt could reunite with Erik ten Hag, whom he played under at Ajax between December 2017 and July 2019.

As Ratcliffe wants to overhaul Man Utd’s centre-back options, with Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire potentially following Raphael Varane out of the exit door, another top defender will likely follow De Ligt to Old Trafford this summer.

Man Utd transfers: De Ligt, Tah could join in double swoop

It will be extremely tough to snare Jarrad Branthwaite from Everton now that the Toffees have agreed to sell Amadou Onana to Aston Villa for £50m.

This has seen Man Utd turn their attention to two other central defenders. The first is Lille starlet Leny Yoro.

Ratcliffe has reportedly come up with a new strategy to try and stun Real Madrid and win the race for Yoro, though the Frenchman is still prioritising a switch to the Spanish capital.

As per German reporter Florian Plettenberg, Man Utd have identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah as an alternative to Yoro.

The Red Devils have made an ‘enquiry’ to find out how much Leverkusen would be willing to sell Tah for, and whether the player would be open to joining their ranks.

Earlier in the summer, Bayern looked set to win the race for the 28-year-old, who played a crucial role in Leverkusen winning their first ever Bundesliga title last term.

But Bayern still have not reached an agreement with Leverkusen for Tah, which has alerted Man Utd to a possible hijack.

Despite Leverkusen’s huge success under Xabi Alonso, as they also won the German Cup and reached the Europa League final, Tah is strongly considering a move to a more illustrious club.

As such, he would likely be attracted by the opportunity to play for Man Utd and test himself out in the Premier League for the first time.

Man Utd could sign Tah for a reduced price, too. The Germany international has entered the final 12 months of his contract, significantly weakening Leverkusen’s negotiating position.

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