Man United Hopes Of Signing Matthijs De Ligt Boosted After His Demand

Manchester United have received a boost in their pursuit of Ajax star Matthijs de Ligt, after the defender reportedly set down two key demands.

De Ligt is one of Europe’s most in-demand stars after a sublime season in both the Eredivisie and the Champions League , and has been heavily linked with both United and Barcelona.

While Barca appeared favourites to secured the deal, reports in Catalonia now claim the player has requested more money than the Spanish champions initially offered.

Mundo Deportivo also claim the 19-year-old has demanded guarantees regarding how many matches he will play.

Playing time appears much easier to come by at United, with the Red Devils looking to completely overhaul their ageing  rearguard.

It is expected a defence would be built around De Ligt at Old Trafford, while at Barcelona several big-name stars are still fighting it out for a starting place.

The long-serving Gerard Pique remains a first-team starter at the Nou Camp, while Clement Lenglet often fights it out with Samuel Umtiti to feature beside him.

Another stumbling block for clubs in moving for De Ligt may well turn out to be the lofty fees of his agent Mino Raiola.

United are well-versed in dealing with the super-agent, having previously worked with him to bring the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba to the club.