Man United turn attention elsewhere with Matthijs De Ligt facing criminal charges?

Erik ten Hag's side are once again searching for a new central defender after £52m signing Leny Yoro was confirmed to be facing a three-month absence due to a broken foot earlier this week.

The Red Devils had engaged in talks with Bayern Munich regarding signing De Ligt this summer but were unwilling to meet the German giants' £42m asking price for the Dutch international.

De Ligt was a regular starter for the Bavarians in the 2022-23 season after arriving at the Allianz Arena for around £60m from Juventus.

However, the Dutch international has fallen in the pecking order behind Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier, and made just 22 Bundesliga appearances for the club last season, only 16 of which were starts.

De Ligt under investigation for hit-and-run incident

De Ligt has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer and Ten Hag publicly confirmed that the club are interested in signing the 24-year-old centre-back.

With Yoro now ruled out for the next three months, speculation arose that the Red Devils would likely step up their pursuit for the Dutchman, but a report from the Bild suggests that a move for the defender may now have to wait.

The outlet claims that De Ligt is under investigation by German police over an alleged hit-and-run incident, in which the player is said to have 'rammed a parked car' close to the club's Sabener Strasse training ground on Wednesday.

The report adds that the 24-year-old 'simply drove away' from the scene in his Audi Q8 e-tron, prompting witnesses to call the police.

It is understood that De Ligt's car was later towed and impounded by the police, and he could face a prison sentence as a maximum penalty for the incident if found guilty.

What happens next for De Ligt remains to be seen, both in terms of the ongoing investigation and whether he will make a move from Bayern to United this summer.

Man United to return for England international?

In light of the current situation around De Ligt, Man United could turn their attention back to Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, who was linked with a move to Old Trafford earlier this summer.

It was reported that the Red Devils had made two offers for the England international earlier in the transfer window but began looking elsewhere after the Toffees rejected both bids.

The first offer is believed to have been in the region of £35m and the second was around £45m, but Everton are looking for closer to £70m to part ways with their in-demand centre-back.

Since then, it has been said that Branthwaite is reluctant to sign an extension at Goodison Park unless the club is willing to match the £160,000-a-week offer made by the Red Devils.

The one-time capped England international penned a new deal with Everton last year which runs until the end of the 2026-27 Premier League season.