Manchester United are reportedly set to disregard the advice of former scout Marcel Bout and sign Matthijs de Ligt.
The De Ligt saga has dominated much of the summer transfer window, with the Dutch defender, 25, initially expected to reunite with his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag. However, United prioritised a £58million move for 18-year-old Leny Yoro instead.
Now, with Yoro out for three months due to an injury sustained in pre-season against Arsenal, De Ligt’s move to Old Trafford seems inevitable. This would mean United going against the advice given by Bout in 2018, who suggested that De Ligt might struggle with weight issues in the future.
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Jose Mourinho had identified De Ligt as his top defensive signing back in 2018, before the Dutchman’s Champions League performances made him a highly sought-after prospect. Despite exploring a deal for the Ajax star, Bout was not in favour of the move, citing concerns about De Ligt’s potential weight issues due to his father being overweight.
Instead, United splashed out a record £80m on Leicester centre-back Harry Maguire, while De Ligt moved to Juventus for £67.8m. Bout, who was hired under Van Gaal, stayed at Manchester until 2022, reports the Mirror.
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Erik ten Hag, singing the praises of Matthijs de Ligt back in 2019, hailed the teenage sensation as “one of the best defenders in Europe”, and pondered whether he had tapped into just “60 to 80% of his potential”. Fast forward, and it’s reunion time for the pair at United.
De Ligt is set for a £42m switch from Bayern Munich – a snip compared to the £57.5m the German giants forked out just two years prior. They’re not stopping there, mind.
Noussair Mazraoui, another Ajax alumnus under Ten Hag, is also said to be hotfooting it from Bayern Munich to Manchester, sealing a sweet £17.1m deal to bolster the right-back spot. While Ten Hag has been keeping schtum about any more talent pitching up at Carrington, he did let slip that the club’s new minority stakeholder, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, isn’t hanging around when it comes to summer transfers.
When quizzed on the prospect of fresh faces, Ten Hag said: “It is always difficult to say,” before admitting, “We hope. We are always looking. This new leadership team is really eager to do business and to make deals. They are on it. But we have to wait if the timing is there and if the opportunities are there.”