New Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has revealed that he held talks with Manchester United before opting to make the switch from Ajax to the Bundesliga.
The 20-year-old has signed for the long-time German champions in a deal worth 25m euros, well below his market value of nearly £32m as per analysis site Transfermarkt.
Ryan Gravenberch has confirmed he has signed for Bayern Munich ? pic.twitter.com/6Q2NGaRVHL
— GOAL (@goal) June 11, 2022
And Gravenberch has wasted no time explaining the importance of winning titles during his time in Bavaria.
‘Bayern is a big club,” he told Bild. ‘I think you have to win big titles here.’
‘That is also what I expect for myself. I’m happy to be here in Munich now.’
Ajax midefielder Ryan Gravenberch (38) during a Florida Cup match at Orlando City Stadium Credit: Scott A. Miller/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
However, it could have all been so different had the confirmation of Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager come sooner, as the former Ajax man revealed to Dutch outlet Telegraaf.
‘Manchester United is a very big and beautiful club. But I already had such a good feeling at Bayern and I had given my word’, Gravenberch claimed.
‘My choice was actually made quite quickly’, he added. In October I met coach Julian Nagelsmann, sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić and technical director Marco Neppe in a hotel at Schiphol. The plan they outlined to me was simply good’.
Of course, it was not until November that Ralf Rangnick was appointed as the interim boss at Old Trafford, but it seems as though the instability at the club has cost them another promising transfer target.
Antony to join?
However, another Ajax man may be finding his way to Manchester this summer, in the form of Brazilian forward Antony.
That is according to TalkSPORT, who claim that both he and Frenkie De Jong will be ‘definite arrivals’ in Erik ten Hag’s first transfer window in charge.
Such a signing, expected to cost around 60m euros were it to happen, and would help to fill some of the clear gaps in the Red Devils frontline.
