Man Utd handed major blow in pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt as Fabrizio Romano confirms new twist

Manchester United are interested in bringing Matthijs de Ligt to Old Trafford but could well have been handed a blow to their hopes of landing the Dutchman.

Erik ten Hag's side have made two signings so far this summer as United aim to improve upon their worst finish in the Premier League era of eighth last season.

Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro have arrived from Bologna and Lille respectively as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to reshape the squad in his first summer as minority owner.

There have also been several outgoings. The likes of Alvaro Fernandez, Donny van de Beek, Willy Kambwala and Mason Greenwood have all been sold, while Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial departed upon the expiry of their contracts.

In terms of areas of the squad to reinforce going forwards, the heart of defence is certainly one United wish to strengthen.

Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich's De Ligt are two players United are interested in bringing to Old Trafford this summer.

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United have reportedly agreed personal terms with De Ligt over a move to Old Trafford, while the Red Devils have had two bids rejected by Everton for Branthwaite.

For the Toffees man, a first bid of £35 million plus add-ons was declined, while a second of £45 million and £5 million in extras was also turned down, with Everton reportedly setting a price of up to £80 million for the England international.

Bayern are reported to value De Ligt at £42.4 million, plus add-ons, so the Netherlands centre-back appears to be a cheaper alternative to Branthwaite.

De Ligt has also previously worked with United boss Ten Hag when the pair were at Ajax, before the defender's move to Juventus in 2019.

However, United may have been dealt a blow in their hopes of landing De Ligt owing to a recent injury for another Bayern defender and the Dutchman being needed by Vincent Kompany.

New signing Hiroki Ito has broken his foot in a pre-season friendly and sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed he faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

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He said: "Yes, his foot is broken. He will be out for a long time”.

Ito joined Bayern from Stuttgart in June and has only played twice for the Bavarians.

It could mean that De Ligt is needed more now at Bayern than he was prior to Ito's injury and the German club might be less likely to sell him to United as a result.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reports that Bayern aim to sign at least one more centre-back now, with Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah the 'priority target'.

It remains to be seen, but the Old Trafford hierarchy may have to revisit their central defensive targets in light of the fresh development.