Matthijs de Ligt looks set for Old Trafford (Picture: Getty Images)
Manchester United have made a breakthrough in their pursuit of both Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, agreeing a deal with Bayern Munich for the former and having a bid accepted for the latter.
The Red Devils have been chasing defensive reinfocrements this summer and have already brought in Leny Yoro, but he has suffered a foot injury which will keep him out for three months.
The hunt for more defenders has continued and has taken Manchester United to Munich, where they are now close to sealing the signatures of De Ligt and Mazraoui.
The Athletic report that a deal worth €45+5m (£38.6+4.3m) has been agreed to sign the Dutch centre-back, who will arrive on a five-year contract with the option for a sixth.
That move appears to be near enough sealed, with a medical to come shortly and the 24-year-old set to be reunited with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
The move for 26-year-old Mazraoui is not quite as advanced, despite a bid of €15+5m (£12.87+4.3m) being accepted by Bayern.
Noussair Mazraoui was also managed by Ten Hag at Ajax (Picture: Getty Images)
The Red Devils must sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka to get that deal done and they are hopeful that will happen soon, with West Ham set to buy the full-back for £15m, although the transfer is yet to be finalised.
An agreement is expected to be reached but the length of contract is still being discussed between Wan-Bissaka and the Hammers.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is expected to complete a switch to West Ham (Picture: Getty Images)
Mazraoui also played under Ten Hag at Ajax and moved to Bayern in 2022, making 55 appearances across all competitions over the last two seasons.
The Morocco international is chiefly a right-back but can be employed as cover at left-back as well.
De Ligt has a huge amount of top level experience for just a 24-year-old centre-back, with Ajax, Juventus, Bayern and Netherlands, but United legend Paul Scholes is not sure about him.
‘Manchester United are talking about bringing players in who can’t get in their team,’ Scholes said on The Overlap.
‘From Bayern Munich, he has not played for them. That has to be a big concern for me, especially when Eric Dier is playing in front of him. I’m not joking, that is a massive concern for me.
‘When you’re bringing players in for £40-£50million just because he played for him three or four years ago. Juventus got rid of him, he wasn’t good enough for Juventus. He’s obviously not been good enough at Bayern Munich, so he’s coming to us as like a second-rate defender now.’
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