Manchester United's pursuit of Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt has received a significant boost following developments in Bayern Munich's transfer plans.

Bayern Munich have reached a preliminary agreement with Bayer Leverkusen for the transfer of Jonathan Tah, one of their top defensive targets. The deal is reported to be worth around €25 million plus €5 million in performance-related bonuses.

However, the completion of this deal hinges on the outcome of negotiations between Manchester United and Bayern Munich regarding Matthijs de Ligt.

Manchester United have been in discussions with Bayern Munich for de Ligt but have so far refused to meet the Bundesliga club's €50 million asking price for the 24-year-old defender.

Despite this, de Ligt has reportedly agreed on personal terms with United, expressing his eagerness to reunite with former Ajax manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.

The Bundesliga giants are willing to part ways with de Ligt to create space for Jonathan Tah, whom they see as a crucial addition to their defensive lineup.

However, for this to happen, Bayern Munich and Manchester United need to find common ground on the transfer fee for de Ligt.

Currently, Manchester United are adopting a wait-and-see approach, hoping that Bayern might lower their demands. United could potentially leverage Bayern's eagerness to secure Tah's services by maintaining their valuation for de Ligt or making a slightly improved second bid to test Bayern's resolve.

The situation is further influenced by United's interest in fullback Noussair Mazraoui. The Morocco international could play a pivotal role in the negotiations, potentially being included in the deal to sweeten the terms for Bayern.