Matthijs de Ligt was the hottest young defender during Ajax’s run into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2019 under Erik Ten Hag. The Dutchman secured a big-money move to Juventus that summer after an incredibly successful season at Ajax, whom he also captained for the whole season.
The Dutchman has since moved to Bayern Munich, where he has struggled for regular minutes after a great first season at the club last season. Tuchel’s refusal to play him means that Matthijs de Ligt could look to reunite with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United in the summer to revive his career and try a different adventure in the Premier League.
Matthijs de Ligt to become potential target for Manchester United
Erik Ten Hag may have been inspiring for Manchester United sometimes this season, but there’s no denying injuries have not helped him get the best out of his squad. All his center backs have succumbed to one injury or another at some point this season, and he’s been forced to try different partnerships, including giving an academy player his debut.
This has forced him to start looking for another option, with Matthijs de Ligt being the most obvious candidate. The Dutchmen worked together at Ajax until De Ligt moved to Juventus in 2019 for big money before being moved on to Bayern Munich for almost the same price three years later.
After returning from injury, Matthijs de Ligt has found regular minutes hard to come by under Thomas Tuchel and could push for a move away from the club if his situation doesn’t improve until the end of the season. Ten Hag, on the other hand, could do with the player he made the youngest captain ever in a Champions League knockout game.
Bayern are also pushing for Barcelona’s Ronald Araujo, although the Uruguayan is reportedly ready to commit his long-term future to the Catalan club.
De Ligt’s successful Ajax stint under Erik Ten Hag
The sale of Davinson Sanchez to Tottenham in 2017 opened the door for Matthijs de Ligt to get regular first-team football at Ajax. Under Ten Hag, De Ligt played 37 games in all competitions for Ajax in the 2018–19 season, with the young defender picking up the Golden Boy award in 2018 to become the first defender to claim the award.
Matthijs de Ligt also captained Ajax in their run into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League after beating the likes of Juventus and Real Madrid, only to be knocked out by Tottenham.
De Ligt’s big stature and ability to read the game made him a huge success at Ajax, as he often started his team’s attacks, thanks to his ball-playing ability.
