Despite not getting the cinematic start, it can not be denied that Matthijs de Ligt stands as one of the best defenders in the current squad of Manchester United. The Dutchman joined his former manager this summer from German giants Bayern Munich for a hefty amount of €50 million.
Despite the high expectations and burdens placed upon him, the center-back has failed to perform as anticipated, with his team suffering severe defeats at the hands of their English rivals. The latest in these humiliations is a 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. The 0-0 draw for Manchester United against Aston Villa was not such a bad result.
De Ligt’s current performances have also brought a threat to his solid place in the Netherlands international side under Ronald Koeman. It is worth noting that De Ligt has shared the dressing room with a large number of stalwarts like Virgil van Djik as well as the Italian duo of Leonardo Bonucci and Georgio Chiellini during his stint with his national side and Juventus respectively.
De Ligt hails former United player
Matthijs De Ligt recently opened up about his professional career. The Dutchman, despite hailing the stalwarts he has played with, named a peculiar name that he considers the best he has played with.
De Ligt named former United defender Daley Blind as the best he played with, as the latter played a pivotal role in bringing out the best in him. On being asked to reflect on his career to date, he opined:
“I’ve played with so many amazing central defenders, I played with Van Dijk, I played with Chiellini, Bonucci, I played with Upamecano and Kim at Bayern Munich. But if I name one where I felt it was the best partnership where together I felt we worked the best it was Daley Blind because I had an excellent connection with him.”
Earning approximately £195,000 per week, De Ligt is considered one of the favorites of Ten Hag, who already coached him during his stint at the Dutch club Ajax.
Although the new centre-back has yet to show promising results, the current United manager remains confident that the player will gradually find his form and make a remarkable comeback.
De Ligt’s form is extremely essential if Ten Hag wants to turn the situation around at Old Trafford. It is not going to be easy and let’s wait and see how this one pans out.
