Man Utd handed transfer lifeline as £30m bid for 'target' rejected

Manchester United’s recruitment efforts are likely to be stepped up over the next week or so as more teams are eliminated from Euro 2024 and Copa America, and as players begin returning for pre-season training. Erik ten Hag will welcome his men back to Carrington next week with the first pre-season fixtures taking place on July 15.

Ten Hag will hope to get new signings locked in as soon as possible to ensure he has time to work with them during pre-season, but transfer business at Old Trafford is not likely to be wrapped up completely until late in the window. In the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding the Red Devils.

De Ligt boost

United are said to have received a big boost in their bid to land Bayern Munich and Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt this summer. It’s no secret Ten Hag wants a new centre-back, and it looks as though Jarrad Branthwaite is off the table with Everton not wanting or needing to sell this summer, according to Sky Sports.

Sky Sports also report that De Ligt, who worked with Ten Hag at Ajax, is keen on a move to Old Trafford. It’s reported that initial talks have already taken place between the two clubs as they bid to thrash out a deal. Bayern are said to want around £42.5million to strike a deal. De Ligt started on the bench again for Netherlands for their clash with Romania at Euro 2024 on Tuesday.

De Ligt has said of his future: "I've already said this is not the time for me to think about it. We're playing at the Euros now and that's very important for me and the Netherlands. That's why I can't say now what I think about this situation. But what I can say is that I've now played my second season at Bayern - I'm very happy. For now I'm focused on the Euros and then we'll see what happens."

Guitierrez deal ‘likely’

United are said to be ready to pay Real Madrid’s asking price for Miguel Gutierrez this summer. The Red Devils want more depth at left-back amid injury issues with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, and Gutierrez is reportedly the preferred option.

Gutierrez has been with Girona for the last two years, but Real Madrid have kept an 8 million euro purchase option in the deal which they will activate this summer. They will then sell the defender for as much as £34million, according to reports in Spain, and United are said to be willing to meet that price to box off the left-back position.

Todibo bid

United have been linked with a move for OGC Nice star Jean-Clair Todibo for some time, but it is not the Red Devils who have made the first move. According to L’Équipe, West Ham have made an opening bid of around £30million for the centre-back, a bid Nice have rejected.

United seem to be exploring other options at centre-back this summer, but Todibo has been linked on and off for around a year, and the arrival of Nice owner Jim Ratcliffe only heightened those links. It remains unclear whether the Hammers will attempt to meet Nice’s valuation with another bid.