Man United next transfers after Matthijs de Ligt as agreement finally reached

Manchester United's transfer plans are pretty clear as they now move towards making two key summer signings. For Erik ten Hag it comes at an ideal time.

Not only is the distraction of Euro 2024 almost over, but pre-season is just around the corner and preparatory work has already begun. In Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos' first summer in charge of the sporting side of the club, things are happening quickly.

United have now verbally agreed personal terms with Matthijs de Ligt, MEN Sport understands, but business is not done there. Despite a £42million deal not being far away with Bayern Munich over a move for the 24-year-old, and this being a sizable chunk of the available budget, there is still more to be done.

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Having had an initial bid for Jarrad Branthwaite rejected, something that sparked the push for De Ligt in the first place as values between United and Everton remained far apart, negotiations are back on. The club have since made a second offer for the English centre-back worth £45million plus another £5million in add-ons. In total it is around £7million more than the first approach but is still far too little.

Everton are demanding at least £70million for the England international and they value him on a par with Wesley Fofana and Josko Gvardiol, who have set the precedent for young defenders making big Premier League moves in recent years. United have set their stall out.

When De Ligt is complete, and presumably in the background as talks continue, they will be working on centre-back targets. Having already seen Raphael Varane