When Matthijs de Ligt broke through as a talented 17-year-old at Ajax – his potential was obvious- and it appeared he had the world at his feet.
He quickly established himself in the first team after being promoted from the youth ranks – becoming the youngest player to start in a major European final against Manchester United in the 2017 UEFA Europa League showpiece.
In March 2018, Erik ten Hag made De Ligt captain of the Amsterdam club after an injury to regular skipper Joël Veltman – and in doing so, he became the youngest player to captain Ajax at just 18 years of age.
Fast forward a year to 2019 – and the defender displayed great maturity and leadership skills far beyond his tender years – as he led Ajax to a league and cup double and claimed the Golden Boy award.
Move to Italy
Despite rumours of interest from United in the summer of 2019, the Dutchman opted to move to Italian giants Juventus in a deal worth €85.5 million – making him the most expensive teenage defender of all time.
The prospect of playing alongside (and learning from) Italian defensive maestro Giorgio Chiellini was too good to turn down for the youngster.
However, an injury to Chiellini early in the season saw him thrown in at the deep end and put under tremendous scrutiny – given his fee – meaning any errors were amplified by expectant support.
The heightened level of expectation and a disruptive managerial merry-go-round in Turin – each bringing their preferred system – made it difficult for the Holland international to settle.
However, the young man still performed well for ‘The Old Lady’ during his time in Serie A – Winning a Scudetto, a Coppa Italia and a Supercopa Italiana during his three-year spell there.
Furthermore, he played more minutes than any other outfield player in the squad during his final season at the club.
Spell with Bayern Munich
After contract negotiations stalled with Juventus, De Ligt was sold to German superpower Bayern Munich in July of 2022 for a fee of €77 M.
The deal would see the imposing defender go straight into the starting XI – instantly becoming one of the leading voices in the dressing room under then-manager Julian Naglesmann.
Injury setbacks
Despite a positive start to his career in Bavaria, De Ligt has suffered some injuries in the last couple of years – which partly caused him to fall out of favour.
Thomas Tuchel often preferred centre-back pairings of Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-Jae or new signing Eric Dier, who joined initially on a loan deal in January.
Admittedly, knocks and niggles did become somewhat of a feature during his time in Germany, but they were rarely significant injuries.
His injury record is perhaps a little overstated and somewhat misunderstood, and maybe some tweaks could help the defender overcome some of the minor issues that have affected him.
He did manage to have a distinguished finish to last season, featuring prominently for Bayern in their run to the Champions League semi-finals.
What would he bring to United?
Still only 24 years old, De Ligt has already built up a wealth of top-level experience at the highest level of European football.
Fundamentally, he would bring elite leadership qualities to the United defence, something the club will be keen to acquire – with the departure of Raphael Varane.
The former Ten Hag disciple is a powerful and aggressive tackler -excelling in his duels. His playing style has often drawn comparisons to legendary former United centre-back Jaap Stam.
He is brave and has displayed some warrior-like qualities in the past – often putting his head where it hurts to get to the ball first. His aerial ability is a notable asset.
He is also an established distributor – pivotal in transition – as one would expect after his rise through the fabled Ajax academy system.
The Netherlands man is tactically flexible and has played in both a back four and a back three during his days in Italy and Germany.
While he is predominantly a right-sided centre-back, he can also adequately slot in on the left side of a central pairing.
Conclusion
I believe signing De Ligt would represent good business for Manchester United.
With talk of their German counterparts Bayern Munich making the defender available for a reported £42 million transfer fee (€50m), this could be the right time for United to strike.
Fearless, determined and solid at the back, he has been a leader from a young age.
Despite not being blessed with blistering pace – he is by no means slow – so his capabilities as the complete defender are a valid talking point.
An underrated aspect of signing De Ligt would be his understanding of Ten Hag’s system and pairing him with another former Ajax defender, Lisandro Martínez.
The time could be right for De Ligt and United to finally come together and seal a transfer that has been five years in the making.
How do you feel about the prospect of this deal coming to fruition? Let us know in the comments or through our socials.
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