The transfer market in Europe is about to witness one of the most high-profile deals. Matthijs de Ligt, who is currently engaged in the European Championship with the Netherlands, is nearing a move to English giants, Manchester United. Bayern Munich is willing to let the central defender leave to aim for other options in the position.
Bayern’s preference to sign Jonathan Tah has relegated de Ligt below the ranks of Dayot Upamecano, Eric Dier, and Kim Min-Jae. The new coach, Vincent Kompany has had discussions with the sporting directors and higher authorities. The mutual decision has been to list the Dutch player on the transfer market to end his stay at the club after just two seasons.
The unstable project at Manchester United
United experienced a change in ownership last season with a lot of hopes and expectations for success in the future. However, until now, there has been little evidence of that taking place. Erik ten Hag was in line to be relieved of his duties in the summer but instead was rewarded with the trust of the owners to keep his job at Old Trafford. Every little decision at Manchester United goes against the rationale thinking, creating uncertainty as to what the coming years hold for them.
Taking into account these factors, Matthijs de Ligt’s desire to join the record Premier League champions does come as a surprise. According to reports, the 24-year-old is not interested in any other move. De Ligt is entering the prime of his career, where an unsuccessful decision regarding a transfer can potentially disrupt his progress massively.
Lack of cohesion between Matthijs de Ligt’s skills and the playing style of Erik ten Hag
Together at Ajax Amsterdam, de Ligt and ten Hag formed a very fruitful partnership. Erik ten Hag chose the center-half as his captain. Nonetheless, since then, de Ligt has gone through various phases in his career which have inevitably impacted his playing style. One of the reasons Bayern Munich is opting to part ways with the defender is due to his inability to operate as a ball-playing center-back.
Manchester United’s decision to invest in de Ligt has hence baffled the fans, who are witnessing flashbacks of the old regime. Past unsuccessful United transfers have followed the same route, where United failed to scout the players according to the demands of the setup adopted by the coach. Perhaps, alternative transfer targets like Lenny Yoro and Jarrad Brathwaite would have turned out to be more suitable options for Erik ten Hag.