“I hope he goes to Manchester United” – Erik ten Hag target backed to shine at Old Trafford

One of Erik ten Hag’s key targets this summer has been backed to shine at Manchester United due to his ability to fix a big problem at Old Trafford.

Manchester United are actively seeking new centre-back options after a challenging season in which Erik ten Hag‘s squad conceded over 80 goals and faced a significant injury crisis.

Raphaël Varane, Lisandro Martínez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelöf, and Jonny Evans all spent extensive time on the sidelines at Old Trafford. As a result, the club is searching for fresh talent, with several of these players likely to depart.

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Jarrad Branthwaite was the initial target. United submitted a £35 million bid plus an additional £8 million in add-ons to Everton, which was rejected.

Following this, the club has seemingly gravitated towards other targets and are said to be close to wrapping up a deal for Bayern Munich’s centre-back, Matthijs de Ligt.

Although De Ligt’s career has somewhat stagnated following his breakout on the European stage at Ajax, veteran former Dutch defender Johan Derksen has backed him to shine at Old Trafford.

“(De Ligt) is a completely different footballer than that lumberjack who is standing there at the back,” he told Vandaag Inside.

“I hope De Ligt goes to Manchester United. I understand that Manchester United wants him because he is so strong in the air, and you really need that there.”

Since leaving Amsterdam in 2019, De Ligt has suffered from injury issues, and his moves to Juventus and Bayern Munich have not worked out as many would have hoped, but the move to United will breathe new life into him.

He would be playing under his former manager, Ten Hag, next to Lisandro Martínez and André Onana, who are both very familiar with Ten Hag’s style, just like him. This is no doubt why the Dutch manager is keen to bring him in.

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