Manchester United are prepared and willing to bid for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt. This is according to reports by Mark Ogden at ESPN. Manchester United were also chasing the dutchman last summer, but he chose a move to Italy. However, de Ligt has not reached the same levels at Juventus as he did during Ajax‘s inspiring Champions League run. This has caused him to be in and out of the team, only starting in 17 of 26 Serie A games. This unimpressive season could result in the Bianconeri allowing him to leave early, and allow the opportunity for Manchester United to sign him.
Manchester United Renew Interest in Juventus’ Star de Ligt
Solskjaer Continuing the Rebuild
Many sources have suggested that Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, is keen to sign a centre-back in the summer. United have already created a list of targets including de Ligt and other big names such as Napoli‘s Kalidou Koulibaly.
Solskjaer has been working hard to rebuild United during his tenure. He has already made great improvements to the defence by bringing in signings Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. These two have been greatly successful. Maguire is already captain of the Red Devils, having emerged as a great leader and amazing player, while Wan-Bissaka is arguably the best right-back in the Premier League. While this is great progress, Solskjaer has set his sights high and wants to continue reinforcing his defence.
Currently, Victor Lindelof is the other starting centre-back next to Maguire. While he has been great this season, de Ligt would greatly improve the backline. With the addition of the Dutchman, Manchester United’s defence would be one of the best in Europe. This is also due to having David de Gea between the sticks.
Why de Ligt?
Matthijs de Ligt would be a great signing for United for other reasons, too. The defender is only 20-years-old. Manchester United have been building a squad for the future and de Ligt fits right into this vision. While he is young, it does not take away from his abilities. He displays maturity beyond his years, even captaining the Ajax side that stunned the giants of Europe. The signings of Bruno Fernandes and Maguire show how important leadership is for a player at United. The Dutchman will be yet another player to bring this quality into the squad. He is the perfect player for the team in terms of his age, versatility, and character.
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