Yahoo Sports Man United still want another defender as Ten Hag comments on De Ligt pursuit
Man United are still in the market for another defender despite splashing out a huge transfer fee on Leny Yoro.
The Red Devils have reportedly agreed to pay Lille €62 million (£52.2m) plus €8m of add-ons for the centre-back, who was also wanted by Real Madrid.
The signing comes as Man United go about restructuring their backline after conceding 58 goals last season, the most they have ever allowed in a single Premier League campaign.
The club ‘remain open’ to bringing in another central defender, although that would require selling first-team players to do so, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The transfer expert claims that Matthijs de Ligt is still on their list of possible transfer targets, as is Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite.
Bayern Munich are reportedly seeking £42m for the Dutch international, but Man United will only pursue a deal ‘on their conditions’, i.e. a smaller transfer fee.
The Toffees, meanwhile, could be forced into a sale after the Friedkin Group backed out of a takeover this week, putting more financial pressure on the Merseyside outfit.
Man United manager Erik ten Hag this week broke his silence on the club’s interest in De Ligt, while also giving some insight into the transfer strategy behind the scenes and suggesting that going for his former Ajax player was not his idea.
”We still have to wait and see whether De Ligt will come,” Ten Hag told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dadblad. “But the good thing is, during my vacation I was out of the process for three or four weeks. During that period it was really the club, the newly established scouting and recruitment department, that brought in these players.
“The fact that there are also Dutch players among them is actually a coincidence. Primarily these were players who were brought in by our organisation. But of course I support them, let that be clear – and we still make the choice together.”
He added: ”I know Matthijs well, of course, I’m not going to deny that. Two years ago I already wanted to get him, but he was already very far along with Bayern Munich. But believe it or not: he didn’t come specifically from my head in this process.”
When Ten Hag was handed a contract extension earlier this summer, reports claimed that one of the stipulations of the deal was that the manager would be less involved in recruitment. However, the 54-year-old does not deny that there is a different perception of the transfer process outside the club.
“I know that it creates a certain image, of course I understand how that works,” he said. “But ultimately the criterion that counts above all else is: is the player good or not good? Does he fit in terms of character, age and of course the quality that we are looking for.”
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