Pep Guardiola “a particular fan” of Manchester United star – his attempts to sign him at Man City failed

Pep Guardiola has been named as “a particular fan” of one Manchester United star and he previously attempted to sign him at Manchester City.

The Reds have strengthened Erik ten Hag’s team this summer and will hope to eventually challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.

De Ligt, 25, finalised his transfer to Manchester United earlier this month and made his debut for the club against Fulham last week.

Bayern Munich and the Red Devils agreed to a deal worth an initial £38.6 million, plus £4.2 million in easily attainable add-ons for the Dutch defender.

The 25-year-old brings essential quality and depth to United’s defence following Raphaël Varane’s departure from Old Trafford at the beginning of the summer.

De Ligt was once one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe during his time under Ten Hag at Ajax and had the pick of clubs across Europe in the summer of 2019.

According to a report from The Athletic, Manchester City were keen on signing the defender that summer and Pep Guardiola was “a particular fan” of the young star.

However, the aforementioned report explained that De Ligt’s representation was a major sticking point in that potential deal.

The Dutchman’s agent was the late Mino Raiola, who had a fractured relationship with Guardiola, which blocked any move from happening and allowed Juventus to sign the player.

Now, De Ligt has made his way to Manchester but will be playing for the red side instead of the blue. He has spoken highly about Ten Hag, who got the best out of him in Amsterdam.

“Erik ten Hag shaped the early stages of my career, so he knows how to get the best out of me, and I cannot wait to work with him again,” he told club media.

“Erik ten Hag shaped the early stages of my career, so he knows how to get the best out of me, and I cannot wait to work with him again.”

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