Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Red Devils eyeing French ace, Matthijs de Ligt opens up Old Trafford move, and more - September 9, 2024

Manchester United are preparing to return to action in the Premier League this weekend with a trip to St. Mary's Stadium to face Southampton. Erik ten Hag's team arrive in the game on a poor run of form, having lost their last two games.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are interested in a French midfielder who is available on a Bosnian move. Elsewhere, Matthijs de Ligt has shed light on his reason for moving to Old Trafford this summer.

On that note, let's look at the major Manchester United Transfer Stories from September 9, 2024.

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Manchester United eyeing Adrien Rabiot

Adrien Rabiot

Manchester United are considering a move for Adrien Rabiot, according to Caught Offside. The French midfielder is available as a free agent this summer and can move to Old Trafford immediately.

Rabiot parted ways with Juventus at the end of last season following the expiry of his contract. There's interest in the player's services from the Middle East as well as Turkey, but he wants to join a top European side.

The Red Devils are long-term admirers of the 29-year-old and are in the mix for his services right now. Erik ten Hag roped in Manuel Ugarte this summer, but remains light in midfield following Scott McTominay's exit.

Rabiot could be a fantastic option for the Dutch manager, with the player also willing to move to the Premier League. However, Manchester United will face competition from Newcastle United in the race to sign the Frenchman.

Matthijs de Ligt sheds light on Old Trafford move

Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs de Ligt has revealed that Erik ten Hag wasn't the only reason why he joined Manchester United this summer. The 25-year-old completed a move to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich last month.

De Ligt has already played under Ten Hag during their time together at Ajax. It is believed that the Dutch manager played a key role in convincing his countryman to make the move this year.

Speaking to Vandaag Inside, De Ligt insisted that the chance to play for the Red Devils was too hard to turn down.

"I am settled in Manchester, I enjoy myself. The boys are great, everything is handled perfectly. There's many Dutch guys also in the staff," said De Ligt.

He continued:

"Erik ten Hag is not the only reason I joined Manchester United. We are talking about Manchester United here, maybe one of the biggest clubs in the world. There is a lot of pressure because the fans are used to things from the past. It's up to us to become as good as possible."

De Ligt has already appeared three times for Manchester United this season.

Red Devils didn't consider Frenkie de Jong this summer, says journalist

Frenkie de Jong

Manchester United never entered talks for Frenkie de Jong this summer, according to journalist Matteo Moretto. The Dutch midfielder is believed to be a long-term target for the Premier League giants and has been linked with the club in the past.

Erik ten Hag was looking for a new midfielder this summer and De Jong was named as an option by various outlets. The 27-year-old ended up staying at Camp Nou, even though Barcelona were open to his departure.

In his column for Caught Offside, Moretto added that Bayern Munich briefly showed an interest in De Jong this summer, but never entered talks for the player.

“At the beginning of the transfer market, it is true that Bayern Munich had Frenkie de Jong on their shortlist but the first contacts which did occur never progressed into a real negotiation between the two parties," wrote Moretto.

He continued:

"It is also evident that the relapse of his ankle injury conditioned the rest of his summer in terms of any potential moves away from Barcelona too, but now the Dutchman’s goal is to play again and perform at his best for Barcelona."

Moretto added that the La Liga giants are likely to try to tie the Dutchman down to a new deal with reduced wages.

“I think the Catalan club wants to try to renew his contract, which expires in 2026 and will try to lower his salary. We will see how the negotiations go for him. This summer, Manchester United were never a real option for de Jong, as they had set their sights on Manuel Ugarte,” wrote Moretto.

De Jong is under contract at Camp Nou until 2026.