According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have made contact with the representatives of Matthijs de Ligt, with the Dutch defender reportedly “open to joining United.”
Matthijs de Ligt ‘Open to Joining’ Manchester United
Manchester United Aim to Strengthen Defence
The centre of defence seems to be an area that the Manchester giants are keen to strengthen with the update from Romano mentioning Jarrad Branthwaite as another option for the Red Devils. This will be music to the ears of United fans that a player of De Ligt’s stature is open to joining the club even without Champions League football.
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It also appears that Bayern Munich could sell De Ligt, who is on £263,000 per week this summer – which could accelerate Erik ten Hag’s interest in a player he managed at Ajax.
Defensive Struggles
Manchester United struggled with injuries last season, which seemed to affect the club and their defensive set-up, with the injury to Lisandro Martinez arguably the most important one. His return towards the end of the season brought a marked improvement to the Red Devils’ defensive stability.
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With the departure of Raphaël Varane confirmed, and the performance struggles of others, it appears new players will seemingly be arriving to strengthen their defence with the club linked with Jean-Clair Todibo, who seems unable to move to Old Trafford due to Nice and Manchester United having the same owners.
Matthijs de Ligt Playing Style
The Dutchman would bring a presence to the Old Trafford back line and some stability to a defence that has struggled to attain consistency in terms of personnel and performance. He is strong when contesting aerial duels and is difficult to pass, as he times his tackles well. He is comfortable on the ball and would be a useful outlet for Andre Onana. There‘s no doubt Ten Hag needs to strengthen in defence, and De Ligt would be a great buy with plenty of experience at a high level.
