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Matthijs de Ligt called his summer switch to Manchester United “a really easy choice to make” as he became the latest player to reunite with manager Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has spent considerable money on bringing players he has worked with before to M16, but is likely to have a special place in his heart for the no-nonsense Dutch defender, who he made captain of his Ajax side while still a teenager.
And it’s clear the 25-year-old holds his former Ajax boss in high esteem, explaining to the Manchester United website that he was “a really important part [of my move to United] because he knows me really well, [and] I know him really well.”
De Ligt, who has represented his country 45 times, says he jumped at the chance to join “the biggest club in English football history”, and is a key part of a revamped United backline but is being eased in gradually.
He made his first start in the harrowing 0-3 defeat to Liverpool last weekend after a couple of promising cameos from the bench in United’s first two games.
But he has looked sharp whenever he has played and will surely be the first-choice option alongside Lisandro Martinez moving forward.
The centre-back holds the extraordinary honour of winning a title in his first season at all three of his previous employers – Ajax in 2019, Juventus in 2020 and Bayern Munich in 2023.
And while he may have his work cut out with United this time around, he pulls no punches when discussing where the club should be.
“I think everybody agrees that United also has to play for the Premier League title, to compete with the other clubs that are fighting for this title.
“I think that’s a really nice challenge and nice project what I really look forward to try to help the team [with] as much as possible.”
De Ligt’s arrival was met with scepticism in some quarters of the English media, but his departure from Bayern Munich was heavily criticised in Germany.
Pundit Dietmar Hamann and Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus both criticised the 33-time title winners’ decision to let the defender leave, while over 71,000 Bayern fans signed a petition urging the club to keep him.
Ultimately United won out, beating off reported competition from Liverpool and Arsenal, and can be content with making a solid addition to their much-maligned backline, which was weakened by the departure of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala over the summer.
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