According to the latest reports, Premier League giants Manchester United have joined the race to sign Ajax central defender Matthijs De Ligt in the upcoming summer transfer window in order to bolster their squad for next season. The 19-year-old defender has been attracting interest from several suitors in Europe and Manchester United will have a lot of competition for his signature.
Manchester United got off to a disastrous start under Jose Mourinho as the Portuguese boss instilled a very negative and defensive style of football into the club. This was something that the United faithful did not appreciate because the football was lacking conviction and desire. There was a toxic atmosphere inside the Red half of Manchester and with no results to back up those poor performances; there writing was on the wall for the 56-year-old Mourinho. A 3-1 humiliation against fierce rivals Liverpool back in December was the final nail in the coffin for the ‘Special One’ and he was fired from his job just a few days later.
United then turned to an old and familiar face in the form of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take over the reins at least until the end of the season so that he could stabilize the sinking ship. However, the 46-year-old has exceeded expectations at Old Trafford by helping the club reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League after overcoming a 2-0 deficit against French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
The English side went on to win 3-1 at the Parc des Princes and book their place in the next round of the elite tournament. Manchester United are now also in strong contention to finish inside the top 4 after a string of positive results in the Premier League as they currently sit fifth on the table. These impressive displays by United gave Manchester United the belief and hope that Solskjaer could be a suitable candidate to take up the job on a permanent basis and they have offered the Norwegian a three-year contract.
However, Solskjaer has to build his squad now and needs reinforcements if he has to get United competing for silverware once again. One main area that United need to focus on is their defensive department and they are now targeting Ajax central defender Matthijs De Ligt in the summer to revitalize their back line.
The 19-year-old has been one of the most highly rated defenders in the world at the moment and he has already racked up the appearances for his national Dutch side as well. De Ligt is still very young but has shown that he is mature beyond his age and there is still a lot of time for him to improve. According to former Ajax and Manchester United winger Jesper Olsen, De Ligt could be a perfect fit for the Red Devils.
While speaking to Omnisport the 58 year old said, “No doubt about it [he could play for United], Playing at Ajax, you have to be a quality player. So, of course, he could. No doubt about it. He could fit into any top team at the moment.”
However, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and even Liverpool are monitoring the situation with De Ligt as he is impressing with each passing game.
