United to move for de Ligt

Manchester United are prepared to swoop in for Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax, according to the Mirror.

The in-demand defender has been linked with a host of top clubs around Europe, with Barcelona reportedly leading the race ahead of United, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Juventus.

There have, however, been issues with the players demands. Both the player and his agent Mino Raiola believe his stock has risen significantly in recent months, beyond what Barcelona are prepared to offer him, and with the Catalan club reportedly unwilling to budge, the deal has stalled.

This development is apparently seen as a chance for Manchester United to step in and try to hijack the deal, by offering the 19-year-old defender a whopping £236,000 per week in an attempt to bring him to Old Trafford. There is no denying that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team needs a quality centre-back with leadership qualities and de Ligt certainly ticks all the boxes, but whether a team not playing Champions League football next season stands a chance to be chosen as the next destination by the Dutch international remains to be seen.