Matthijs de Ligt "gives hope to Manchester United in transfer" after asking his requirements

Manchester United received a boost in its pursuit of Ajax star Matthijs de Ligt after the defender reportedly made two key demands.

De Ligt is one of the most sought-after stars in Europe after a sublime season in both Eredivisie and the Champions League, and has been closely linked to United and Barcelona.

While Barca seemed favored for the conclusion of the contract, reports in Catalonia now claim that the player asked for more money than the Spanish champions had originally proposed.

Manchester United received a boost in its quest to sign the Ajax start-up, Matthijs de Ligt

Mundo Deportivo The 19-year-old has also asked for guarantees as to the number of matches he will play.

Playing time seems much easier for United, as the Red Devils are looking for a complete overhaul of their aging rearguard.

A defense is expected to be built around De Ligt at Old Trafford, while in Barcelona, ​​several famous stars are still competing for a place.

Gerard Pique, who has served for a long time, remains a first team player in Nou camp, while Clément Lenglet often fights with Samuel Umtiti to appear alongside him.

De Ligt is a rising star of the Dutch team and already captain of Ajax at 19

Guarantees of play at Barca would be less safe with players like Gerard Pique in the team

Another stumbling block for clubs moving to De Ligt may well be the high fees of its agent, Mino Raiola.

The notoriously tough negotiator would have asked for significant repair costs for any move involving his client, which would have halted Barca's progress.

United has a habit of dealing with the super agent, having already worked with him to bring to the club people like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba.

As recently reported by Sportsmail, United are considering trying to financially control Barca under any agreement with De Ligt, while agreeing to meet Raiola's demands as well.