Manchester United’s pursuit of Bayern Munich star Matthijs de Ligt is going from strength to strength with it looking likely that the Dutch defender will be moving to Old Trafford this summer.
De Ligt became a key target for United after Sir Jim Ratcliffe confirmed that the Red Devils would be standing by Erik ten Hag and retaining the 52-year-old as manager. With his future intact at Old Trafford, ten Hag instantly turned to the board to request that enquires be made into de Ligt, with United desperate for a centre-back following the departure of Raphael Varane at the end of his contract.
Ten Hag has always been a keen admirer of de Ligt since his days at Ajax, where he handed the centre-back the captains armband to make the then 19-year-old the youngest ever captain in Ajax Amsterdam’s history, a record he still holds.
During this time the pair spent as captain and manager, Ajax went on to complete the Dutch domestic double, winning the Eredivisie and the Toto KNVB Beker cup, also having a strong UEFA Champions League run making it to the Semi-Finals where they were knocked out by Tottenham Hotspur on 3-3 aggregate, with all three of Spurs’ goals being away goals, getting them through to the final.
Erik ten Hag’s regard for the star is widely known, with the pair engaging in phone calls recently to try and secure the defender’s move to Old Trafford, with a five year contract being offered and Bayern now confirming his price tag of €50 million plus bonus payments.
However, reports have now shown the admiration that de Ligt has of Erik ten Hag.
Manchester Evening News has recently reported de Ligt’s comments on the Dutch manager remaining at United, saying: “He is someone who loves his job and he loves to work. He wants to do everything to make his team play better.”
He continued: “He’s really into the details. This makes him a really good trainer who improves players. He has a lot of qualities to succeed and we will have to see how he goes.”
It’s clear that there’s a lot of mutual respect between the two Dutch nationals, which only suggests that de Ligt would be as happy for a reunion as ten Hag is, giving further hope that the centre-back will be a Red Devil in no time at all.
