Man Utd have made a joint offer to sign Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bundesliga side Bayern Munich, according to The Athletic journalist David Ornstein.
The Red Devils are looking to improve their defence ahead of the new season with Erik ten Hag looking to bring in another centre-back and right-back before the end of August.
Leny Yoro has already arrived from Lille but the young French centre-back has already picked up a serious injury with the 18-year-old set to miss three months with a fractured metatarsal.
And Man Utd are now looking to act in the transfer market as they look to bring in further reinforcements with Joshua Zirkzee their only other new addition.
Ornstein claims that the Red Devils have made an ‘opening double offer to sign De Ligt and Mazraoui from Bayern Munich as Man Utd look to ‘bolster their ranks’.
The Athletic journalist adds:
‘There was optimism at United and among the players’ representatives that this would satisfy Bayern’s expectations for squad members they deem surplus to requirements.
‘But the proposal was rejected and the Bundesliga side told their Premier League counterparts it will need a higher fee to reach an agreement, with talks ongoing.
‘It has caused some bemusement in the camp of De Ligt and Mazraoui — represented by the same agent, Rafaela Pimenta — based on their understanding of what it would require to get a deal over the line.
‘Bayern informed the pair before the summer market opened that neither were part of their plans and transfers should be sought, insisting the club would compromise to help the process.
‘The resistance United’s enquiries subsequently met led De Ligt and Mazraoui’s people to ask Bayern whether their stance on the centre-back and full-back had changed, yet the position was reiterated.’
There was a report on Thursday which suggested that Paris Saint-Germain didn’t match the Red Devils’ offer for Yoro because they knew of his ‘fragility’ but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists Man Utd are “not worried in the long term” about the Frenchman’s fitness.
Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “I’m receiving many, many questions on the situation of Leny Yoro and his injury, and though Manchester United will clarify the situation in detail, I can confirm that the expectation of the club is for the player to be out for some weeks.
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“The fracture in his foot is expected to be confirmed, and we will see how long he will be out for. Probably the end of September or something like that, but it will depend on the recovery process so it could be even longer.
“Let me clarify some things too.
“First of all, Manchester United are regularly updated with the physical situation of their players, and will have all the information they need on the physical situation of Leny Yoro.
“They’re not worried in the long term, he’s just been really unlucky in that friendly, and reports of other clubs pulling out of the race for Yoro because of the physical conditions of the player is something that is absolutely not the case. I can guarantee that the medical results were absolutely excellent. All the clubs wanted to sign Leny Yoro; Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
“It’s not a muscular injury, it’s just something that’s happened, so Man United remain really calm.
“They’ll keep supporting the boy, and they are 100% percent sure that everything will be fine in the next weeks and months.”