United lowball in opening £29m bid for Ten Hag target – proposal has been swiftly rejected

Manchester United have seen their opening proposal for Matthijs de Ligt rebuffed by Bayern Munich for failing to meet their valuation, as per Christian Falk.

After several weeks of targeting the player, the Red Devils have finally tested Bayern’s resolve with a €35 million (£29m) bid, but they will need to increase their offer by around £13m in order to meet the Bundesliga giants’ £42m price tag or risk missing out on a deal entirely.

Reports suggest United have already negotiated personal terms with De Ligt, who is keen to reunite with former coach Erik ten Hag while also joining the side’s strong ex-Ajax contingent of Lisandro Martinez, Antony and Andre Onana – all of whom played under the Dutchman in Amsterdam.

Read more: £60m Euros-winning star is ready to reject United and Arsenal after making transfer stance crystal clear

United target further centre-half acquisitions

INEOS have already bolstered the manager’s backline with the addition of one of Europe’s highest-rated defensive prospects, Leny Yoro, who is expected to play an integral starting role despite his young age of just 18.

Yet, last term’s debilitating injury crisis – that saw the defence particularly decimated with setbacks – has prompted the board to cover all bases this time around and add increased depth to the ranks. As well as that, both Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala have left this summer, giving Ten Hag fewer options at his disposal when the new term rolls around.