Manchester United had a rough season in 2023/24. The Red Devils finished on 8th position in the Premier League and the hopes to achieve European competition were very slim. United conceded 58 goals in the league which is more than they scored. This caused disappointment in the fans about the club’s defense. In order to strengthen the defense, United are looking for new defenders. Amidst the options available, United are interested to sign Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich.
Raphael Varane signed for United three years ago in 2021. Ever since his arrival, the Frenchman struggled through the injuries and was not able to fulfill the expectations the club had from him. Varane’s contract recently expired and United made a decision to not renew and let him go for free. As a result, there is void currently in the club’s defensive line which they believe would be fulfilled by De Ligt.
Manchester United want to reunite De Ligt and Ten Hag
Manchester United are monitoring all the options available in the transfer market. De Ligt who currently plays for Bayern Munich is on the club’s radar. The Dutch defender had impressive spell of two years with Bayern Munich which caught attention of United. Before Bayern, De Ligt impressed everyone with his time at Juventus. However, his breakout season came when he was at Ajax.
De Ligt began his senior career at Ajax. He impressed everyone when Erik Ten Hag was managing Ajax. Erik Ten Hag played a crucial role in transforming the defender and defining his future. It is now reported that Ten Hag is already in contact with De Ligt to convince him to join United. Ten Hag admires his players he had in his spell with Ajax. We have already seen him bringing players like Lisandro Martinez and Anthony. De Ligt who helped Ajax in marking historic run to Champions League semi-final with Ten Hag could be the latest addition to this list.
Bayern Munich are ready to sell De Ligt if their expectations are met. According to Sky Sports Germany, Bayern are demanding £42 million for the defender. Along with this price, Red Devils will need to pay add ons for De Ligt and as per reports it would make the Dutchman third most expensive centre back in club’s history. The English club has offered De Ligt a five-year contract making him United player until 2029.
How has De Ligt’s season been
Matthijs De Ligt missed some of the Bayern’s fixtures due to injuries. However, he came back at crucial moment and featured in important matches. Unfortunately, Bayern were not able to win any trophies, but De Ligt’s personal stats were very impressive. De Ligt player 1,391 minutes and scored 2 goals for German giants. The Dutchman achieved 94% passing accuracy. He made 0.7 tackled and 0.9 interceptions per game. De Ligt won 1.9 ariel duels per game and achieved overall rating of 6.68 for the 2023/24 season. When compared to Varane’s and Martinez’s 2023/23 season for United, De Ligt proves way more superior than both of them.
Others options available for Red Devils
Although, the Red Devils and Ten Hag admire De Ligt a lot, his signing is not certain. United are linked with two more young defenders. Lille’s Leny Yoro and Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite are on United’s radar as well. Yoro who is still 18 years old has made 32 appearances in Ligue 1 throughout the 2023/24 season. Whereas Branthwaite is 22 years old and has made 35 Premier League appearances for Everton in 2023/24 season. Old Trafford will be ready to welcome their new defender soon.
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