It’s looking increasingly possible that we could see Matthijs de Ligt arrive in the Premier League this summer. According to reports, the Dutch defender has made it clear that he wants to leave Italian giants Juventus after contract discussions between both parties broke down.
De Ligt joined the Bianconeri in 2019 for £67m and is contracted at the club until 2024. However he now seems keen to call time on his career in Italy after what’s been labelled 'a fiery meeting' with club chiefs over a new deal.
His potential availability has put a number of top Premier League clubs on high alert, with two of the most obvious being Chelsea and Manchester United. The Blues are out to bring in at least one new central defender after Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left on free transfers earlier this month.
Meanwhile at United, new manager Erik ten Hag will be desperate to bolster his side’s defence, undoubtedly aware of the struggles the team had under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick last season. They’ve already been linked with various players including Ajax duo Jurrien Timber and Lisandro Martinez, while Chelsea are still thought to be keen on Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.
De Ligt’s potential availability though could see both clubs switch their attention to signing the 22-year-old. But of the two, who’d best suit the defender?
The obvious advantage United hold over other interested parties is Ten Hag. The defender built a strong relationship with the new United boss at the Johan Cruyff Arena, making 117 appearances under the 52-year-old. De Ligt even spoke admiringly about his ex-manager in an interview not long after he was announced as the new United boss.
"He has a lot of qualities (to succeed at United). We will have to see how he goes. He definitely improves players. He wants to do everything to make his team play better."
Though still a teenager, Ten Hag was able to help De Ligt produce his best form at Ajax. He’d most often lined up in the centre of the defence in either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, and thrived within Ten Hag’s possession-based philosophy.
From the defender’s point of view though, how appealing are United right now? Putting Ten Hag to one side and focusing on the current squad, it’s fair to say there’s not a lot to love about United right now.
On current form at least, there’s a case to be made that there’s only one real world class defender at the club, and that’s Raphael Varane. However, he struggled for a consistent run in the side last season due to injuries, making just 22 Premier League appearances.
This could mean he’d most often be partnered by the likes of Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof, neither of whom are considered good enough on current form.
Ahead of the defence, United also still lack an elite and athletic defensive midfielder. Although you’d expect that to be something they finally address this summer, they look to be prioritising a move for Frenkie de Jong instead who is better with the ball than without.
With so many holes still in the squad, it could be a tough initial period at United for De Ligt. This is why he might favour a move to Chelsea instead.
Thomas Tuchel has a much more balanced squad at his disposal, with elite talent in almost every position. He’d have the likes of N’Golo Kante sweeping up danger ahead of him, with solid wing-backs on either side. It’s only really central defence where the team is looking thin on the ground, but that is obviously an area that De Ligt would immediately strengthen upon his arrival.
Another worthwhile point is Juventus sometimes experimented with a back-three formation last season, meaning De Ligt has some experience operating successfully within the same.
Overall then, while there’s set to be a strong Dutch contingency at United in these coming years, if De Ligt was to make a switch this summer, then it would seem that Stamford Bridge would be the better-suited environment for him to hit the ground running.
