Manchester United are eyeing up a move for a highly-rated defender who manager Erik ten Hag knows well, according to a new transfer update.
Do Man United need January signings?
The Red Devils have made a fairly disastrous start to their Premier League season, having been hoping to kick on further in 2023/24, making some important signings during the summer transfer window.
On Saturday afternoon, United were beaten 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace, with Joachim Andersen's goal proving to be the difference between the two sides at Old Trafford. It means that Ten Hag's side have now lost four of their opening seven league games this campaign, with any hopes of mounting a title challenge seemingly evaporating already.
While it is still clearly early, even a top-four finish already looks like something of an uphill battle, and results and performances need to improve drastically moving forward for that to change.
United do have injury problems, which could be playing a part in their struggles, but there also appears to be a lack of genuine world-class quality throughout the team. It may be that the Reds look to make further signings once the January transfer window opens, ensuring that they have more depth and ability in the squad for the second half of the season.
At this point, it is arguably a necessity for it to happen, unless there are drastic improvements shown on the pitch, and a new transfer report claims that one target is being eyed up.
Which player are Man Utd keen on signing?
According to a report from Spain [via Caught Offside], United are interested in signing Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs De Ligt, with an €80m (£69.4m) move mooted or even a potential swap deal. His current club seems open to the idea of selling him, even though his deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2027.
This could be a brilliant piece of business by the Reds, with the £265,000-a-week-earning Dutchman someone who Ten Hag knows well, having managed him at Ajax during their time together at the Eredivisie giants.
Still only 24 years of age, De Ligt has been one of Europe's most highly thought of young centre-backs for some time now, and while he hasn't necessarily reached the enormous heights some expected at this point in his career, he could still be a significant upgrade on the current options United have at the heart of their defence.
Harry Maguire's struggles throughout his Reds career have been much discussed, while Victor Lindelof is also flawed, even though he is capable of good performances. Raphael Varane is now in his 30s and is an injury-prone figure, so it is essential that a new central defender arrives – one who can partner Lisandro Martinez for years to come.
De Ligt is clearly a fan of Ten Hag, previously backing him to succeed as United manager by hailing his former boss last year, so they could both welcome the idea of once again working together. The former has been lauded as "incredible" by former Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli, and it could be exciting to see him at Old Trafford, making this one to watch.
