By Pranav Shahaney

13th Apr, 2022 | 10:30am

Manchester United set to miss out on Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch despite scouting missions

According to the Athletic, Manchester United scouted Ajax midfielder Ryan Gravenberch in the past.

However, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich appear set to beat them to the Dutchman’s services.

According to Sky Sports Italy journalist Fabrizio Romano, they are set to reach an agreement on personal terms with the 19-year-old Netherlands international.

It is expected to be a five-year deal and they only have to iron out a transfer fee with Ajax before they can secure the midfielder’s signature ahead of the summer transfer window.

Via his personal Twitter account, Romano wrote, “Bayern are set to reach verbal agreement on personal terms with Gravenberch on a five year contract while they’re working to complete the deal with Ajax, still discussing about the fee.

“Mazraoui is also close to join Bayern. Raiola is on it as agent of both players.”

The teenager is a midfielder and is quite a versatile one at that.

He can play as a deep-lying playmaker where he controls the tempo and helps bring the ball out from defence, but is equally competent at playing further up the pitch as well.

Gravenberch is reminiscent to the Paul Pogba we saw at Juventus as he can thrive in a three-man midfield system with a holding player behind him.

The Dutchman is a good dribbler and can play tidy defence-splitting passes in the final third and would have been ideal for Manchester United.

Bayern’s ageing team would surely love a player of his calibre and that’s why they’re working on signing him before the window opens as other clubs could then enter the race, looking to snap him up from behind their backs.

In other news, Aurelien Tchouameni could be the long term replacement for N’Golo Kante at Chelsea.