Matthijs de Ligt was once one of the most promising central defenders in the world when he and Ajax reached the semi-finals of the 2018/19 Champions League. Then, he joined Juventus in the summer of 2019 for 67 million pounds and was awarded a contract until 2024.
However, he ended his time playing in Italy early after what was said to be “a heated meeting” with the team’s board of directors. Accordingly, the Dutch defender made it clear that he wanted to leave Juventus after contract negotiations broke down in the summer of 2022.
Ultimately, De Ligt moved to Bayern Munich with a blockbuster deal. However, the time in Germany was considered unsuccessful for the Dutch midfielder. Due to constantly having to reserve for the couple Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano, De Ligt once again wanted to leave.
Meanwhile at Man United, coach Erik ten Hag continues to make efforts to strengthen the defense. It can be seen that the Red Devils’ defense is not really safe. It can be seen that Man Utd has been in contact with many different players over the past 2 years.
Therefore, with De Ligt preparing to leave, it can be seen that Man Utd quickly turned their attention to signing a contract with the 24-year-old player.
The clear advantage Man United holds is Ten Hag. The defender built a good relationship with Ten Hag at Johan Cruyff Arena, appearing in 117 matches under the 53-year-old coach. De Ligt even spoke admiringly about his former teacher in an interview not long after Ten Hag debuted at Man Utd.
Ten Hag can help De Ligt regain his best form at Ajax. He is regularly deployed in the center of defense in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation and thrives under Ten Hag’s possession-based philosophy.
However, from this defender’s perspective, is Man United currently an attractive destination? Putting aside Ten Hag and focusing on the current squad, it’s fair to say that at this time there aren’t many reasons to have love for Man United.
In front of defense, Man Utd still lacks a midfielder capable of holding the midfield. Man Utd tried to recruit Frenkie de Jong but failed. The Old Trafford team still has to rely on Casemiro, but the Brazilian midfielder is old.
Meanwhile, Kobbie Mainoo is still young. Christian Eriksen is difficult to stretch for long periods of time, but Mason Mount has not met expectations. Therefore, Man Utd’s squad is not complete, so De Ligt will certainly face many obstacles.
Not to mention, De Ligt wants to compete at the highest level in the Champions League. However, the Red Devils are in quite shaky form. With this situation, they are at risk of not winning the Champions League next season.
Therefore, the deal for De Ligt to join Man Utd is still quite vague.