Manchester United have upped the ante in the ongoing transfer tussle for Matthijs de Ligt, according to Catalan publication Sport .
Most other outlets still expect the 19-year-old Ajax skipper to join Barcelona , but Sport say United have "significantly improved" their offer to tempt a player who has already become one of the stories of the summer transfer window.
That follows on from Sport saying that optimism at Barca had dwindled over the signing of De Ligt, who could join his Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong at the Nou Camp next season.
The teenager has reportedly already rejected a proposal from United, who are desperate to revamp their squad this summer following a disappointing campaign which featured them missing out on the Champions League for 2019/20.
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on the lookout for young, hungry players to shake up his squad of superstars, and is closing in on a deal to sign Wales winger Daniel James from Swansea City as the first deal of the club's summer.
De Ligt promises to be a tougher player to convince to join the club though, with suggestions that the Dutchman has doubts over a Premier League move amid the riches and status on offer at the Nou Camp.
The Sport report - cited here by Sport Witness - says that United are now "one of the top contenders" to sign the centre-back, although that has arguably always been the case.
It could still be that De Ligt and his agents are using United's interest to increase the offer on the table from Barcelona, who are looking to add a new centre-back this summer amid uncertainty over the future of French World Cup winner Samuel Umtiti.
