It appears that Manchester United’s chances of acquiring Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich in the summer will hinge on whether or not they decide to retain Erik ten Hag as manager.

Sky Sports Germany reports that De Ligt, who joined Bayern from Juventus in the summer of 2022, will be “allowed to leave” the team at the end of the current campaign due to his decline in the team’s center-back hierarchy.

Man Utd are looking for defensive reinforcements, as TEAMtalk recently explained. According to reports, they may restructure their center-back group in the summer.

While players like Jonny Evans, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelof are facing unclear futures, Manchester United is currently looking for candidates to partner Lisandro Martinez at center-half.

Many players, including De Ligt, Leny Yoro (Lille), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Jean-Clair Todibo (Nice), and Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), have been linked to Manchester United.

With regard to De Ligt specifically, Sky Sports Germany has stated that a summer departure from Munich is “conceivable,” particularly if Bayern make the kind of defensive acquisition they would like.

Coincidentally, Araujo is also a key target for the German powerhouses in that sense.

Thomas Tuchel likes Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano together at centre back, so De Ligt is worried about being third or even fourth choice. As a result, he has begun to consider switching teams.

Additionally, the Bayern board is aware of his position and will consider any reasonable bids for the Dutchman three years before to the conclusion of his contract.

The statement that Man Utd is keeping an eye on De Ligt’s progress is reaffirmed. Though they did not play under Ten Hag at Ajax, Martinez, who is left-footed, could benefit from his right-footed center-back ability.

Might Ten Hag bring out the best in De Ligt?

The amount Bayern will demand for De Ligt’s departure is not stated in the story. Eighteen months ago, they paid €67 million in order to sign him.

De Ligt has since made 55 appearances for the team, scoring four goals (12 of which have come this season). In his first season, he contributed to them keeping the Bundesliga title, so he has now won league titles with all three of the teams he has played for.

Nevertheless, the former captain of Ajax has not matured as some had hoped. At the age of 24, he is currently searching for a club that will once more revolve around him.

Maybe he may find his potential again by getting back together with Ten Hag. But that never occurred for Donny van de Beek, another former Ajax star, at Old Trafford, and Antony hasn’t been successful since he followed his manager from the Eredivisie.

In addition, Ten Hag’s future as Manchester United’s manager appears questionable following a run of patchy performances this season.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe joining the board, Manchester United will embark on a new project that may ultimately result in the appointment of a new manager.

Ten Hag is secure in his position for the time being and hopes to influence any additional Man Utd deals.

For the rest of the January window, there is not much leeway, but as the Ratcliffe revolution gains momentum, the summer may be very interesting.