Manchester United have managed to secure one of their top priority signings this summer in the form of Matthijs de Ligt.
The negotiations took some time to agree a fee to get the deal across the line, but in the end an agreement for £38.4 million (€45 million) plus £4.3 million (€5 million) in add-ons was reached.
The Dutchman had already agreed personal terms to see the centre-back move to Old Trafford for five years. Whilst this deal takes him until 2029, the Red Devils do have an option to extend by another year if they wish.
It’s no news that Erik ten Hag and de Ligt worked together before at Ajax, however the bond they formed is clearly based on a lot of mutual admiration and respect.
Erik ten Hag and Matthijs de Ligt
The Athletic have now reported that the opportunity to link with Erik ten Hag again was a vital factor in him turning down other clubs to hold out for United.
Speaking to The Athletic in February, de Ligt said: “(Erik ten Hag was) the most important coach for my development,”
He continued: “Even at 18, he saw me as someone who could lead a team, who could lead by example, who could be a good captain.”
Ten Hag’s decision to make de Ligt the Ajax captain set the centre-back up as the youngest captain in Ajax’s history, with the Eredivisie side winning the league and the Dutch cup that year.
Recently ten Hag spoke about United’s interest in de Ligt and said: “It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come,”
He continued: “I know Matthijs well and I will not deny that. I wanted to sign him two years ago but at that time he was already very far along to join Bayern Munich but believe it or not, his name did not come from me in the process [at United].
“But of course, I support these decisions, let that be clear. We still make these choices together,
“I know it creates a certain image, of course I understand how that works, but eventually, our criterion will prevail above everything else – is the player good or not? Is he the right character? Does he fit the age and quality bracket we are looking for?
“I understand when you do not win, the media maligns you and there is a bad image, but it [nationality] is irrelevant, whether he is from the Netherlands, Sweden, or France. It is just like the colour of hair the player has. It does not matter what the outside world thinks.
“We make decisions together and we jointly arrive at the best possible selection. I firmly believe we are moving in the right direction.”
With ten Hag highlighting is wish to sign the centre-back as soon as he arrived at Old Trafford, it shows how much he believes in de Ligt and the success he feels the defender can inspire.
This desire for both men to reunite has been a defining factor which saw the defender reject Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. The two clubs contacted de Ligt’s representatives, however it was made very clear to both that de Ligt wanted United.
This move has now seen the Netherlands international take on the no4 shirt and has made his United debut off the bench against Fulham. No doubt United are just easing him in and ten Hag will be expecting great things of his former captain.
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