Transfer: Fans threaten summer plans of Manchester United

The summer transfer plans of Manchester United may hit a snag soon as Bayern Munich fans have launched a massive campaign to keep their star defender, Matthijs de Ligt, from leaving.

United, under the new direction of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, are eyeing Dutch internationals Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt to bolster their squad for the upcoming season.

De Ligt, currently with the Netherlands national team preparing for a Euro 2024 semi-final against England, has attracted significant interest from United manager Erik ten Hag. Ten Hag, who previously worked with De Ligt at Ajax, sees him as the ideal partner for Lisandro Martinez in the heart of United’s defense.

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However, Bayern Munich supporters are vehemently opposed to the transfer. A petition on Change.org titled “Keep de Ligt!” has garnered nearly 60,000 signatures, reflecting the fans’ strong desire to retain the 24-year-old defender.

The petition highlights De Ligt’s importance to the team, his potential future leadership role, and his multilingual abilities, which enhance his integration within the squad.

“We all want Matthijs de Ligt to stay at FC Bayern Munich! He has proven that he’s a world-class defender, probably the best in our squad. Selling Matthijs de Ligt would be an absolutely horrible decision, and we would definitely regret it,” the petition reads.

While Manchester United pushes forward with their transfer plans, the overwhelming response from Bayern fans could demonstrate the significant impact supporters can have on transfer decisions.

Though, Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag is already in contact with both Zirkzee and De Ligt, it remains to be seen how this fan-driven movement will influence the negotiations and the future of the Dutch defender.