If Matthijs de Ligt was in any doubt whatsoever as to how much he was wanted by Bayern Munich’s fan base, the Man United target has received an emphatic response.
At the last count, some 68,000 Bayern fans had signed a petition to keep him at the club according to German football expert, Christian Falk, writing in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside.
It would appear to be a foregone conclusion that the Dutch warrior will soon be signing on the dotted line to complete a move to Old Trafford, however, and ensure a reunion with his former Ajax manager, Erik ten Hag.
Matthijs de Ligt set to join Man United
“It’s true, there’s a petition to keep Matthijs de Ligt at Bayern, and many, many fans signed it already. At least 68,000 in fact. That shows you how important he is for Bayern and it’s a pity that Vincent Kompany doesn’t see it. I would sign the petition as well because I think the first step for a defender is to defend – and de Ligt is one of the best in Europe,” Falk noted.
“As you already saw, he’s very close now to Manchester United. A few months ago, when it wasn’t clear who the next coach would be, he told me that he wanted to stay at Bayern, but Erik ten Hag did a good job. He’s also shown the player what he wants to do with him so I think this will happen very soon because the clubs have now began to talk. Bayern want €50m plus add-ons, bringing the fee to nearer €60m. We will see if United wants to pay it because de Ligt has made it very clear that he only wants to go to United. I heard PSG were also interested but I don’t think this will happen.”
It isn’t just de Ligt that could be on the move either. Under new man in charge, Vincent Kompany, this really could be a summer of change for the Bavarians.
“Kingsley Coman is another player up for sale with PSG and a few other clubs interested in him. Bayern want €50m for him so let’s see where he will land. Leon Goretzka was told that he can leave the club but he’s made the decision that he wants to stay. Joshua Kimmich has a contract until 2025, so one year less than Goretzka. For him, the situation is easier because he can play this one more year and then leave for free,” Falk added.
“Bayern Munich pay him up till €20m a year but don’t want to give him as much money again. They want to get his salary down by at least 25%, perhaps even 50%, but that won’t be realistic. Kimmich is the only player too who is his own agent, he does all of the negotiations himself. It’s not so easy to do so with foreign clubs at the moment as that was the idea of Barcelona – to get him to join because of Hansi Flick. In one year, if he is a free agent, it’ll be really easy to get him.
“Serge Gnabry is on the list as well. Bayern want to sell him but it’s really hard because he’s earning so much and I think he only played in just 30% of the matches last year. They won’t get him away at the moment because there’s no club who will pay him the same salary and pay a transfer fee for a player who has been injured for virtually the whole season and didn’t play in the European Championship.
“Alphonso Davies is a real problem for Bayern Munich. They’ve bought Ito from Stuttgart to put a little bit of pressure on him because he didn’t sign a new contract.
“They were really close to signing but Bayern’s supervisory board kept saying no, that the terms were too much. The agents changed things and it was the same story, so they were really angry having to go back to Canada with no agreement.”
After what can only be said to have been an awful season under Thomas Tuchel, Bayern’s board will be expecting Kompany to restore the club to their rightful place at the summit of German football.
For a manager with big ideas but who was sixth choice for the Bayern job and got his last club relegated, it’s a huge risk for all concerned.