Erik ten Hag has been eyeing Matthijs de Ligt, his former Ajax captain who led his side to the domestic double in the 2018-19 campaign.
The Manchester United manager is now hot on the heels of reuniting with the Dutch international at Manchester United, with reports indicating the Red Devils are currently leading the race to secure his signature.
An exclusive story by FT has revealed that Arsenal have also set their sights on luring the Bayern Munich center half but the blow the Gunners could be on the receiving end of a cold snub as Ten Hag’s side is said to be in pole position to attract De Ligt. Furthermore, the north Londoners have not initiated any contact with the Bundesliga star as yet.
The current campaign has seen De Ligt mainly being relegated to the bench for the Bavarians, whose preferences are for Kim Min-Jae and Dayot Upamecano as central defenders.
The former Ajax captain has only started 8 games in the Bundesliga and was an unused substitute in the 3-0 defeat against Bayer Leverkusen over the weekend. As such, it is understandable the 24-year-old star wants to leave the Allianz with the news that Man Utd are all ready to sign him.
United are also keeping tabs on Todibo and Branthwaite but the first choice is De Ligt as the Netherlands international has league titles in three countries under his belt, besides having the quality and the experience to reinforce the dodgy backline in Ten Hag’s side.