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What is the story?
Super-agent Mino Raiola wants Matthijs de Ligt to snub Barcelona to join United.
In case you didn’t know..
The young Ajax sensation is currently one of the best defenders in Europe. His prominent displays against the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus have propelled Ajax into the Champions League semi-finals. At just 19, de Ligt is the proud captain of Ajax and looks set for a glittering career ahead.
The heart of the matter
De Ligt has been an admirer of Barcelona and is said to prefer a move to the Spanish giants. Barcelona has already completed a move for de Ligt’s team-mate Frankie de Jong. De Ligt would prefer to carry on playing with de Jong and dreams to line up alongside Lionel Messi at Barcelona, according to reports.
As de Ligt to Barcelona was looking like a done deal, his agent Mino Raiola has come out with completely different ideas. According to Metro, Raiola would prefer his client to move to United, Juventus or Bayern.
These recent developments have opened the doors for United to pounce. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperately looking for a world-class defender and would prefer the in-demand Ajax star to boost United's defensive options. Also, Mino Raiola has already established a good relationship with United, with earlier transfers of the likes of Pogba, Lukaku, Mkhitaryan, and Ibrahimović all sanctioned under his guidance.
If United does manage to pull this transfer off, it would definitely come at a premium. Ajax will be looking for a fee in the range of £100 million. Mino Raiola looks set for another huge payday, yet again!
What’s ahead?
This transfer saga is bound to rumble-on, though the immediate focus for de Ligt will definitely be the Champions League semi-final against Tottenham Hotspurs.
