Man Utd sent three-word message by Matthijs de Ligt as Erik ten Hag makes his move

Manchester United target Matthijs de Ligt has signalled that his preparations for the new season are well underway by posting a series of images on social media. Bayern Munich have already rebuffed one proposal from Old Trafford, but United are expected to return to the negotiation table.

Erik ten Hag was eyeing another centre-back signing after completing a £52million swoop for Lille’s Leny Yoro in July.

The 18-year-old’s foot injury, which is set to rule him out for three months, has intensified the need for reinforcements.

Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton and De Ligt emerged as the standout targets after UEFA blocked Jean-Clair Todibo’s switch from INEOS sister club OGC Nice.

But two rejected bids for Branthwaite – the latest worth £50m – have seen United divert their full attention to De Ligt.

Bayern reportedly informed him he has no future at the club under Vincent Kompany, so their decision to turn down a joint offer for the Dutchman and Noussair Mazraoui raised eyebrows.

United are claimed to have made a breakthrough with their attempts to sign Mazraoui, with a medical at Carrington set for Tuesday. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s planned exit to West Ham United will facilitate the move.

However, there still appears to be work to do if they are to lure De Ligt from the Allianz Arena. In the meantime, he is getting ready for the upcoming campaign.

De Ligt has made it clear to United that he will be ready to perform as soon as he lands in M16 if they reach an agreement with Bayern in the coming weeks.

A month after agreeing personal terms with the Red Devils, he has captioned images posted on Instagram showcasing the start of his pre-season programme: “Back to work.”

The 24-year-old was pictured running medical tests in Bayern training gear, mentioning the Bundesliga giants’ Instagram handle in his caption alongside bicep and prayer hands emojis.

De Ligt was excluded from Kompany’s squad for a pre-season tour of Asia, igniting speculation about his future.

Following a break in the aftermath of the Netherlands run to the Euro 2024 semi-finals in Germany, it now appears that he is preparing for the 2024/25 season at Bayern’s training base.

Bayern start their competitive season with a DFB Pokal first-round match against second-tier side Ulm in less than two weeks on Friday, August 16.

On the same day, United commence their Premier League campaign by hosting Fulham at Old Trafford as they look to build on an appalling eighth-place finish last term.

Next Saturday, Ten Hag’s side face Manchester City at Wembley Stadium for a record-extending 22nd Community Shield.

He reportedly hopes to have Mazraoui in his squad but is being made to wait longer for another of his former Ajax students.