The Red Devils look set to take a huge gamble on the Netherlands international, who finds himself at a career crossroads
Back in the summer of 2019, Matthijs de Ligt was the most sought after defender in the European game. He provided the rock solid base for Ajax during their thrilling run to the Champions League semi-finals under Erik ten Hag, putting himself on the radar of Barcelona and Manchester United in the process.
United had to face rejection in that instance, as De Ligt ended up choosing Juventus, who forked out €85 million (£72m/$92m) including add-ons for the Dutchman's services. But fast forward five years, and the 24-year-old is reportedly trying to push through a transfer to Old Trafford to revive his flailing career.
According to , the Red Devils could get a deal over the line for £42 million (€50m/$54m), which seems like a bargain price on the surface. But there is a reason De Ligt's market value has plummeted so dramatically.
Juventus cut their losses on De Ligt after three seasons, and now Bayern Munich are set to do the same after just two. The Netherlands international has been unable to cope with the pressure of expectation at the biggest clubs in Italy and Germany, so why would things be any different on the red side of Manchester, where he will face even greater levels of scrutiny?
Getty ImagesWhat went wrong at Juve?
"Many of my idols from the past are also Italians. Such as [Paolo] Maldini, [Franco] Baresi, [Alessandro] Nesta, [Fabio] Cannavaro and [Gaetano] Scirea," De Ligt said in his farewell statement to Ajax after signing for Juventus. "When you talk about defenders, then you soon talk about those names. I actually fell in love with the Italian way of defending and I made a choice based on that."
De Ligt would go on to become a Serie A winner during his time at Juventus, while also picking up Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana medals, but he never came close to emulating any of his idols. Then-Bianconeri boss Maurizio Sarri put De Ligt straight into his starting XI after Giorgio Chiellini was laid low with an ACL injury, but the Dutchman's first few months in Turin were defined by a series of individual mistakes.
Merih Demiral took his spot in the team for a while as a result, and although De Ligt did manage to regain favour with Sarri as Juve limped to the 2020-21 Scudetto, largely thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's haul of 29 goals, he didn't do enough to justify his hefty price tag.
His fortunes didn't improve much after Massimiliano Allegri's return to the club either, which marked the start of a frustrating transitional period for Juve. De Ligt did start to perform more consistently, but still faced regular criticism for his clumsiness on the ball and lack of pace on the turn, and the Bianconeri slumped to back-to-back fourth place finishes in Serie A.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesMore chaos in Germany
Incredibly, Juve still managed to recoup most of their initial investment in De Ligt. Bayern snapped the centre-back up for €67m (£57m/$72m) in July 2022, handing him a five-year contract.
De Ligt had fallen on his feet, and had plenty of excuses ready for his failed stint in Turin. “I was captain at Ajax and felt like I had to lead this team," he said in an interview with . "Of course, if you then go to a team that has such legends in defence and in goal, for a guy of 19 it might be a bit difficult at first to express yourself in the way you actually could. In a way, I was less myself."
The Ajax academy graduate added: "It’s a completely different style of defending. At Ajax you press really high, you take risks, at Juventus it’s more about what is behind you. In Italy the pace of the league is also a little bit slower. I came to Juventus with the idea of playing more attacking football."
So much for being "in love with the Italian way". Still, Bayern felt that the Bundesliga was the ideal place for De Ligt to unlock his true potential, and to begin with, they were proven right. Bayern clinched a record-extending 11th successive league title, and De Ligt made the Bundesliga Team of the Season as a reward for his impressive performances. However, the club's harsh decision to axe Julian Nagelsmann with just two months of the campaign remaining had big implications on De Ligt's standing in the squad.
To put it plainly, Nagelsmann's successor, Thomas Tuchel, just didn't have the same faith in De Ligt. Bayern signed Kim Min-jae last summer and then Eric Dier in January as Tuchel made it a priority to bolster his defensive options, and De Ligt saw his minutes significantly reduced. Bad luck with injuries played a part, and De Ligt did finish 2023-24 strongly, but Bayern ultimately fell to their first trophyless campaign in 12 years. Tuchel paid the price with his job and now Vincent Kompany has been drafted in to kickstart a new era, which apparently will not include De Ligt.
GettyTen Hag reunion on the cards
De Ligt is reportedly the best-paid defender at Bayern, and striking off his wages will allow Kompany to start shaping the squad in his own image. Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah is said to be Bayern's first choice replacement for De Ligt, while they are also close to sealing deals for highly-rated Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise and Paris Saint-Germain's Xavi Simons, who shone on loan at RB Leipzig last term.
Bayern's summer spending will go far beyond the €100m (£85m/$108m) mark, with a €46m (£38m/$48m) deal for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha already wrapped up, and selling De Ligt will be crucial to help balance the books. Enter United.
Jarrad Branthwaite was initially the Red Devils' number one target for the summer, but they've backed off due to Everton's £70m ($89m) asking price, and De Ligt represents a more affordable alternative. It like a move that suits all parties concerned. De Ligt needs another fresh start, and Ten Hag may believe he can get the best out of him again, having overseen his meteoric rise to prominence at Ajax.
Getty ImagesAjax nostalgia
However, one look at Ten Hag's recruitment record at United should be enough to leave fans with huge concerns. Ten Hag has made a habit of signing players he's worked with in the past, with largely disastrous results.
Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez and mercurial Brazilian Antony both followed Ten Hag to Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2022. United also signed Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, with the Dane having trained under Ten Hag in Amsterdam after his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, while the Dutch coach also tried in vain to sign former Ajax playmaker Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.
And last summer, Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana swapped Johan Cruyff ArenA for Old Trafford before Sofyan Amrabat, who played for Utrecht when Ten Hag was in charge of the Eredivisie side between 2015 and 2017, joined United on loan from Fiorentina. Of all these new additions, Martinez is the only one who can be considered a success.
Eriksen has slowed down significantly with age. Amrabat became a laughing stock as United endured their worst-ever Premier League season, and Onana didn't do enough to prove himself as an upgrade on beloved former No.1 David de Gea. Antony, meanwhile, is destined to go down as the biggest flop in the club's entire history.
And yet clearly Ten Hag has learned nothing from his mistakes. De Ligt is not the same player he was at Ajax. He's gained invaluable experience at an elite level, but has been drained of the confidence that set him apart from his peers as a youngster, and getting that back in an environment as uncompromising as the Premier League will be no easy feat.