Erik ten Hag reveals latest on Matthijs de Ligt’s Manchester United transfer chances

Matthijs de Ligt’s potential transfer to Manchester United hit a snack when the Old Trafford club announced the signing of Leny Yoro for £52 million on Thursday evening.

Following a 2023/24 season in which they conceded over eighty goals across all competitions and finished eighth in the Premier League, Erik ten Hag and his team have been actively seeking centre-back reinforcements.

Manchester United took a bold step by pursuing highly-rated 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro, who was on the verge of joining Real Madrid.

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On Thursday evening, the club announced that they had successfully persuaded Yoro to sign for the Manchester outfit and to agree to a five-year contract lasting until 2029, with an option for an additional year.

However, links were originally more intense with Matthijs de Ligt, with the Bayern Munich defender having agreed personal terms with United two weeks ago.

Yoro’s signing threw a spanner in the works of De Ligt’s transfer. The club needs to prioritise funds for Yoro and a midfield signing, meaning that the 24-year-old’s transfer is now in doubt.

“It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come,” Ten Hag told AD Sportwereld.

“I know Matthijs well, and I will not deny that. I wanted to sign him two years ago, but at that time, he was already very far along to join Bayern Munich, but believe it or not, his name did not come from me in the process [at United].”

Ten Hag then explained that United’s summer transfer target list was finalised between the recruitment and scouting departments while he was on holiday in June, but he stressed that he still had a say in the signings.

“But of course, I support these decisions, let that be clear,” Ten Hag said. “We still make these choices together.”

United have signed Joshua Zirkzee and Yoro for a combined initial £88 million so far, recruiting players in two positions that desperately needed fresh faces.

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