Paul Scholes was not a fan of Matthijs de Ligt’s move to Manchester United in 2024, but his performances under Rúben Amorim have been brilliant.
Manchester United‘s form has massively improved from last season, with Rúben Amorim‘s side currently unbeaten in their last 5 matches. The team’s newly recruited attacking force has received the majority of the plaudits, but Matthijs De Ligt has been a rock at the back for United this season.
Saturday afternoon’s draw against Tottenham was disappointing, but could’ve been even worse if it wasn’t for De Ligt’s last-minute heroics to rescue a point.
When the Dutchman was signed from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2024, concerns were raised by some who questioned the signing, given De Ligt’s career path after his impressive performances for Ajax as a teenager.
As Roy Keane would say, “very few defenders burst onto the scene,” but captaining one of the biggest clubs in Europe in a Champions League semi-final at the age of 19 is unique.
His performances in a United shirt have been positive so far, but his first season in Manchester wasn’t easy as he suffered some minor injuries. At the age of 26, De Ligt still has room for development, but he brings valuable experience and leadership to the team, which Amorim seems to trust.
This season has shown us glimpses of Amorim’s system working against some top teams. A huge positive has been the defenders stepping into midfield when needed, as the midfield two can often seem outnumbered.
De Ligt has been the strongest in this department, recognising when to step in and when to stay deep. He reads the game really well and is aggressive when regaining possession. His game is well-rounded, which Amorim clearly recognises as he has deployed him both in the centre and to the right of the back three.
Scholes’ concern over De Ligt
Many have celebrated De Ligt’s performances this season, and some have even placed him as one of the best defenders in the league this campaign. There were mixed views when Utd agreed a deal with Bayern Munich for just under £40 million in 2024’s summer transfer window.
In particular, United legend Paul Scholes expressed his concerns around the signing when speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate when the signing was confirmed.
“You know what? Manchester United are talking about bringing players in who won’t get in their team,” Scholes said at the time.
“[De Ligt] from Bayern Munich… he’s not played for them. That’s a big concern for me, especially when Eric Dier’s playing in front of him. I’m not joking; that is a massive concern for me. You’re bringing in players for £40 million, £50 million, okay, just because he’s played for them three or four years ago…
“Juventus got rid of him; he wasn’t good enough at Juventus, [and] he obviously hasn’t been good enough for Bayern Munich. He’s coming to us almost like a second-rate defender now.
“He might be [a good signing], don’t get me wrong. [His relationship with Erik ten Hag from Ajax] is a big boost, and he’s Dutch.”
This opinion was not unpopular; however, it was formed out of assumptions rather than facts. De Ligt regularly featured for both Juventus and Bayern Munich during his spells at both clubs. Bayern Munich paid £59 million to sign him from Juve in 2022, three years after the Italian club signed him for £75 million, which is expensive for a “second-rate defender.”
His performances in Germany were solid, and his departure caused considerable confusion and anger within the Bayern fan base. So much so, over 70,000 fans signed a petition against the sale of the defender to United. It is understood that the German club opted to offload De Ligt to remove his large salary and inconsistent injury record at the time.
De Ligt is now crucial to United
Big wages and fitness issues do not seem to be a problem for Utd or De Ligt now. It seems that Utd got the deal done for a cut-price fee, and with the new INEOS regime, it is clear his wages will not be too high.
Despite missing parts of last season due to injury, De Ligt was always consistent when he played and brought much-needed leadership to the back line.
He has continued this form into this season and is now showing the levels many hoped he would, having played 90 minutes of every single Premier League fixture this season, making him arguably Amorim’s most crucial player.
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A career as decorated as De Ligt’s should not be shamed or underestimated. He was Ajax’s youngest-ever captain and won the league with them, as well as with Juventus and Bayern. His United career has not yet included major honours, but he has had some great moments so far, especially his last-gasp header against Tottenham yesterday.
The equaliser will be sweet for De Ligt, and could be a little bit of revenge for the 2019 Champions League semi-final. A win would’ve made it more special, but an unbeaten run in the Premier League is huge progress for the Reds.
Hopefully, United can carry on their form after the international break, with the club looking to the next game against Everton in just over two weeks’ time. There is no doubt De Ligt will be integral to any potential success this season, so hopefully, he can continue his impressive displays.
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