Matthijs de Ligt Man Utd Transfer News: Next Club Latest for Dutch Defender

 

Manchester United are hellbent on bolstering at the back this summer. The departure and Raphael Varane and likely exit of Victor Lindelof, they are keen to add new bodies to the back ahead of Erik ten Hag's third season at the Old Trafford helm. Jarrad Branthwaite and Matthijs de Ligt are the club's two top targets, while Leny Yoro is another on the club's radar. 

 

Of the trio, it's De Ligt who is the likeliest to join United in the coming weeks. They have bid for both Branthwaite and Yoro but Everton have rejected their second off for the former while the latter has his heart set on a move to Real Madrid, which complicates a potential deal. 

 

De Ligt, though, is one who is tipped to secure an Old Trafford switch before too long. After the Netherlands were knocked out of Euro 2024 by England on Wednesday night, a deal should advance quickly as United look to wrap up a deal for the former Ajax man sooner rather than later. Transfer guru David Ornstein insists that patience is required in their pursuit of De Ligt but he seems the most likely centre-back to move to Manchester this summer. 

 

 

He'd add an air of composure to a United backline that has previously been lacking, particularly last season as they were conceding an average of 17.6 shots per game; only Sheffield United (17.8) shipped more in Europe's top five leagues. The Dutchman isn't a gung-ho centre-back that would go in all guns blazing to ease the pressure on the United goal yet this isn't the centre-back United need. 

 

They require a commanding presence at the heart of the defence, and he's one that Ten Hag trusts, the pair's respective careers overlapping during their time together at Ajax. With Lisandro Martinez bringing the rough and ready approach to defending, both centre-backs would complement one another perfectly. 

 

This United side, too, is one that looks to the centre-backs to get the ball upfield, noted in that their top three players with the best pass success rate in the Premier League last season were Martinez (93%), Lindelof (89.5%) and Varane (89.3%). Meanwhile, only Jonathan Tah (94.7%) returned a better pass success rate than De Ligt (94%) in the 2023/24 Bundesliga campaign. 

 

 

Granted, the latter was playing for a more dominant Bayern side yet as Ten Hag tasks his United defenders with playing a key role in their build up play; a centre-back De Ligt's calibre fits the bill nicely. In addition, De Ligt will add the aerial dominance required of a partner for Martinez. 

 

The Argentine won an average of just 0.6 aerial duels per 90 in the Premier League last season, returning an aerial success rate of just 44.4% in the process. By comparison, De Ligt averaged 2.7 aerial wins per 90 in Germany's top tier last term, winning a more modest 58.6% of his headed battles. With Harry Maguire unlikely to feature as regularly under Ten Hag next season, the United boss needs a centre-back who can repel direct threats. 

 

With the added bonus of being able to operate in a back four or a three-man defence, De Ligt brings that key versatility to the backline than Ten Hag can utilise if needs must. While he is expected to persist with a 4-2-3-1 system, the Dutch boss stands to benefit from the increased tactical flexibility. 

 

From a personal viewpoint, De Ligt will likely welcome the chance to link up with Ten Hag once more. The 24-year-old broke onto the scene under the now-United boss and after a few testing years at both Juventus and Bayern, the opportunity to work under Ten Hag again would allow for De Ligt to rediscover his best form. 

 

He won't be the final piece of the United jigsaw but De Ligt is a piece that will go some way to completing the puzzle.

Matthijs de Ligt Man Utd Transfer News: Next Club Latest for Dutch Defender