50 million + bonuses! "Disheartened star" unlikely to join Manchester United, Ten Hag's authority has been diminished.

Most fans believed Matthijs de Ligt would be Manchester United's first signing this summer, as the player rejected other offers, determined to reunite with his mentor Erik ten Hag, even willing to sacrifice Champions League participation. Manchester United also acted proactively, agreeing personal terms with the player, awaiting only the transfer fee agreement with Bayern Munich. Bayern, eager to complete Jonathan Tah's transfer, were willing to lower the price. Therefore, expectations were high for substantial progress after the Euros.

However, unexpectedly, Manchester United's real target was 18-year-old Leny Yoro, not de Ligt, a tactical diversion that caught Bayern and Real Madrid off guard. After that, negotiations between Manchester United and de Ligt stalled, even drifting apart. Earlier reports from two prominent journalists confirmed external speculation: de Ligt's hopes of joining Manchester United this summer are diminishing.

BBC journalist Simon Stone stated that Manchester United is still attempting to sign another center-back, but their two offers for Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite were rejected by the Toffees, and negotiations with Bayern for de Ligt have not yielded positive results.

According to German Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United's offers for de Ligt so far have been far below 40 million euros, and Bayern has directly rejected them all. Bayern firmly refuses to negotiate; any potential buyer, including Manchester United, must meet the asking price of 50 million euros plus bonuses. De Ligt's transfer fee is a serious issue internally at Bayern, even for Max Eberl, who advocates selling de Ligt, who must maintain a firm stance on this matter.

These two journalists clearly indicate that de Ligt's transfer is stalled over the fee. The gap isn't just a few million, but roughly 20 million, a significant disparity. Manchester United was willing to offer 62 million plus 8 million bonuses for 18-year-old Yoro, yet offered far less than 40 million euros for de Ligt. Is this Manchester United's lack of recognition of de Ligt's ability? Obviously not; there are deeper considerations behind it.

After Manchester United renewed Ten Hag's contract, reports circulated that Ten Hag still holds final authority over transfers. This is true, but his authority has certainly been weakened.

We can review Ten Hag's first two summer windows at Manchester United: basically, players he favored were pursued relentlessly by the club's hierarchy. Frenkie de Jong was Ten Hag's designated foundational midfielder; Manchester United negotiated with Barcelona throughout the entire summer, even flying to Barcelona for direct talks, ultimately failing to sign de Jong and wasting precious recruitment time. Subsequent signings like Antony, Onana, Mount, and Højlund were all Ten Hag's chosen targets, joining at inflated prices.

If Ten Hag still had final authority, de Ligt would be joining Manchester United, not Yoro.De Ligt is Ten Hag's former player and favorite, entrusted with the captain's armband at Ajax. Compared to Yoro, de Ligt is a ready-made talent, usable immediately. The 18-year-old Yoro has great potential but is a semi-finished product requiring time to develop. From Ten Hag's perspective, who would he prefer: de Ligt or Yoro? The answer is obvious. Poor results could lead to dismissal; he cannot allocate limited budget to a 18-year-old, which would be akin to gambling.

Therefore, Ten Hag proposed de Ligt, and Manchester United's hierarchy indeed negotiated, but Yoro is the new director's preferred player. They value the player's potential and the team's future. While de Ligt is a ready-made talent, he also carries injury risks and high wages. From a squad-building perspective, Yoro became the new recruitment team's primary choice. Regarding de Ligt, Manchester United's hierarchy adopts a cautious, step-by-step approach.

It is certain that after securing Yoro, Manchester United's current focus will not be on de Ligt's transfer, but on midfield and full-back positions, which explains recent rumors in these areas. While there are rumors about Zubimendi, Ugarte remains the primary target. Paris Saint-Germain is close to signing João Neves, increasing their willingness to sell Ugarte; this Uruguayan midfielder could likely be Manchester United's third summer signing. Regarding right-back, the most cost-effective option is Mazraoui, but this depends on Wan-Bissaka's sale situation.