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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has denied reports that he is pushing the club to sign his former player.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed the club's interest in signing Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich but has denied reports that he has been pushing for the defender's signing.
De Ligt, who previously worked with Ten Hag at Ajax, is reportedly keen on a reunion with his former boss at United.
However, the Premier League side has allegedly held up the deal, with Bayern Munich said to be holding out for a transfer fee of over 50 million euros.
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Ten Hag denies pushing for De Ligt signing
Ten Hag addressed the rumors in an interview with AD Sportwereld, stating:
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"It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come. I know Matthijs well, and I will not deny that.
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"I wanted to sign him two years ago, but at that time, he was already very far along in the process of joining Bayern Munich (from Juventus)."
The Manchester United manager continued: "But believe it or not, his name did not come from me in the process (of targeting signings). I think he's a great player, but we'll have to wait and see what happens."
The signing of 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro from Lille has also cast doubt on the potential move for De Ligt, with the club now needing to sell at least one of their five central defenders before signing another.
Ten Hag's comments suggest that while De Ligt is a player he admires, the deal is not a certainty, and United may be exploring other options.
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