Varun Pai
Transfer News: Barcelona and Chelsea joined by Manchester United in race to sign Juventus star Matthijs de Ligt
According to Transfer Market Web (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United are ready to give ‘stiff competition’ to Barcelona and Chelsea in order to sign Juventus ace Matthijs de Ligt.
The Red Devils strengthened at the back in the summer by signing Raphael Varane. However, the problems at the back were far from resolved. Harry Maguire looks nervy against pacy attackers, while Victor Lindelof has not really made a case to displace either Maguire or Varane from the starting XI.
The Frenchman, too, has had his fair share of injuries till now. Thus, a new centre-back could be eyed, and the Old Trafford outfit is eyeing a move for Matthijs de Ligt. The former Ajax captain has been solid for Juventus since signing for them in 2019. He helped them win the Scudetto in his debut campaign and has since been a part of the rebuild once Cristiano Ronaldo was sold.
Barcelona and Chelsea are already weighing up a potential deal for the defender. The Blues have contract issues with their defenders while Xavi is trying to revive the Catalan club. Although Man United are deemed to be a contender in this race, a move is unlikely to take off, especially after landing Varane in the summer.
Should Man United consider De Ligt?
Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, every Man United manager has failed to field a competent defence for a consistent period of time. And that could explain the reason why our last PL title came under the Scotsman. It was Ferguson himself who said, “attack wins you games, defence wins you titles”.
David de Gea has been exceptional for the better part of last decade but needs help from the centre backs in front of him. Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea have also won important titles on the back of magnificent defensive displays. One cannot overlook the impact Virgil van Dijk, Ruben Dias, and Thiago Silva had on their respective PL teams since signing for them.
Thus, we need quality options at the back. De Ligt could certainly live up to that billing, given how well he has adjusted to the two leagues he has already played in at such a young age. In fact, at 22, he could become a future leader at Old Trafford in the next decade or so, having already played with star players in defence such as van Dijk and Giorgio Chiellini.
However, Barcelona and Chelsea would also be snooping around for a potential deal. The Blues are the reigning European champions and are competing for the Premier League title this year. The Blaugrana, on the other hand, remain one of the best teams in Europe, and it is only a matter of time before Xavi has them firing on all fronts.
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Thus, the competition is intense, but that also indicates the value of the player. Man United need to ensure to qualify for Champions League football next season to attract the best talents to the Theatre of Dreams. This is a race that we need to win as Rangnick looks to make the Red Devils a force to reckon with again.
