Manchester United transfer target Matthijs de Ligt is 'not wanted' at Bayern Munich by head coach Thomas Tuchel.
De Ligt, 24, came through the academy at Ajax where he worked with Erik ten Hag before lucrative transfers to Juventus and Bayern, however, speculation over the defender's long-term future has been rumbling on for months.
A Premier League move has been touted on more than one occasion and it's already been reported that United have plans to overhaul their defence in the summer. Acquiring De Ligt - a player he knows well - would certainly appeal to Ten Hag, who has previously turned to players he worked with in Amsterdam since taking the top job at Old Trafford.
And Bayern would likely be open to doing a deal with their European rivals given that German outlet Bild claim De Ligt is not wanted by Tuchel, who is unimpressed with the Dutchman.
De Ligt was an unused substitute in Bayern's chastening 3-0 loss against title rivals Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend with the defender later confirming to fans that he is fully fit.
Tuchel preferred on-loan Tottenham defender Eric Dier to De Ligt, effectively relegating the former Ajax man to fourth-choice in the Bayern Munich pecking order.
The face that Tuchel doesn't view De Ligt as an important part of his squad represents a significant boost for Ten Hag and Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window, where it's expected they will reshape their squad.
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It emerged on Tuesday that Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal for a minority stake in the club, worth £1.25billion, has taken a step closer to completion after the British billionaire passed the Premier League's owners and directors test.
As outlined by Mirror Football, the next step is for the Football Association to sign off on the deal, which was struck with the Glazer family in the build-up to Christmas.
The deal, which will see Ratcliffe acquire a 25 per cent stake in his boyhood club, will give Ineos control of sporting operations at the club, meaning Ratcliffe and his team will have a big say in recruitment moving forward.
Full ratification of the deal, which is now expected imminently, comes some 14 months after the Glazer family first invited takeover proposals from interested parties.
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