Manchester United planning shock hijack for Bayern Munich target Jonathan Tah | OneFootball

Manchester United’s hunt for defensive reinforcements has certainly not gone according to plan with none of their three targets any closer to arriving.

It was reported that the Red Devils are close to agreeing a deal with Bayern Munich for Matthijs de Ligt with the Netherlands international even agreeing personal terms with the club.

The Bavarian giants were also open to offloading the former Ajax starlet with Vincent Kompany already bringing in Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart while the next port of call was Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen.

But Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg has now claimed that the 20-time English league champions are yet to officially submit an offer for Erik ten Hag’s former protege.

De Ligt out, Tah in?

Instead, the Old Trafford side have inquired with the defending Bundesliga champions about their imposing centre-back.

United are aware that Bayern are yet to agree a fee with their rivals and this could be an attempt to hijack the deal for the Germany international.

“Been told that Manchester United have inquired about Jonathan Tah in the last few days! Man Utd aware of the fact, that there’s no agreement between Bayern and Leverkusen.

“And there’s still no final agreement between Man Utd & Bayern about a transfer of Matthijs de Ligt yet. As the final offer from MUFC is still missing,” the journalist wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The 28-year-old, who had started all but one game for the national team during the European Championships, has been on United’s radar since last season.

Shock hijack attempt

In an unforgettable season for Leverkusen, Tah made 48 appearances, scoring six times while providing one assist. He helped keep 21 clean sheets in all competitions.

His current market value stands at €30 million and with his current deal ending in 2025, he could be available for less than what Bayern would command for De Ligt.

Whether the English giants have decided to move on from the Bayern star remains unclear. But it is clear with Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala’s departure and Victor Lindelof’s impending exit that the club needs more than one new centre-back.

Tah is not as young as De Ligt but he is enjoying a great run of form over the last couple of seasons. Bayern will be worried about their pursuit of Tah, now that United have decided to enter the race.

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