Manchester United are believed to be closing in on the first signing of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era
Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe(Image credit: Getty Images)
Manchester United are said to be ‘very confident’ of completing their first new signing of the summer this week.
The Red Devils are set for a busy summer in the transfer market as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team take the transfer window wheel for the first time since the billionaire completed his minority stakeholding earlier this year.
After last season’s eighth-placed finish, there is plenty of work to do with the squad, with defence being one of their key priorities after they conceded 58 times in the Premier League last term.
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This has seen the club linked with a move for Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt in recent weeks, with the player said to be ready to leave Bayern Munich and reunite with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
According to Fussball News, Manchester United believe that they will ‘largely finalise the transfer’ this week after constructive talks between them and their German counterparts.
Bayern put a €50million valuation on the 24-year-old, with the Red Devils hoping to agree on a package worth €40million, plus add-ons, which would include a sell-on clause.
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Matthijs de Ligt at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands (Image credit: Getty Images)
The club are also said to have agreed personal terms with De Ligt who is willing to take a cut on his €15million salary, while Bayern will use the funds to finance a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonathan Tah.
The report adds that one lingering question is when a medical will take place, given that De Ligt is currently away in Germany with the Netherlands at Euro 2024, meaning that Gareth Southgate could do the Red Devils a favour by knocking out the Dutch and speeding up a deal when they meet England in Wednesday’s semi-final.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
