Manchester United has been busy in the market this summer, as INEOS, the club’s new owners, have significantly impacted by signing several statements. The most recent defensive recruit, Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, might be the marquee signing of the lot.
The 24-year-old Dutch International is reunited with his old manager at Ajax, Erik Ten Hag. They were quite formidable there, reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in nearly 28 years. De Ligt’s pivotal role at just 19 tells us how important he could be for Manchester United, considering they have been lacking defensively for so many years.
De Ligt’s Key Strengths
Manchester United have their hands on a complete center-back with qualities that make him a world-class defender. De Ligt tends to adapt according to the situation of the match. He is widely known for his ability to balance aggressiveness and being a cool, calm, and composed defender, which few defenders can manage. Being 6’2 inches tall, he has tremendous pace and strength, Making life very difficult for forwards to get past him. De Ligt averages a percentage of 83% aerial duels in a match, making him very strong in the air.
De Ligt has exceptional passing range. Most of Bayern Munich’s buildup from the back in the past two seasons was through him, which makes forwards think twice before they put any pressure on him. De Ligt is known for being a leader; captaining Ajax at just 17 and leading them to titles shows his marvelous leadership qualities. Very few defenders can match the qualities De Ligt has in his locker.
How De Ligt Can Boost Manchester United
Over the years, Manchester United’s defensive fragility has played a massive role in their downfall. They have been very unsuccessful in finding solutions to their defensive problems. Being on the list of teams to have conceded the most goals from set pieces last season and the team to have the most goals conceded in the top 8 is a major concern. it’s just not the Manchester United standard at all. However, with the inclusion of Mathijis De Ligt, many problems can be solved.
Defensive Prowess at the Back
With his amazing leadership skills, solid in the air, great range of passing, and physical presence at the back, Manchester United can hugely benefit from the Dutchman coming in. Manchester United struggling to cope with physically dominant center-forwards like Ivan Toney, Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins, De Ligt with his expertise can form a formidable partnership with the Argentine and recent Copa America winner Lisandro Martinez, and help Manchester United get defensively solid in the big games which Man Utd have been dreadful in, especially the away games where they are defensively vulnerable the most.
De Ligt had an average rating of 6.91 in the past two years at Bayern Munich, which means that he averages a rating of 6.5- 7/10 in every match he played in the Bundesliga. For a very consistent defender who shows reliability and consistency at the back, that is what Manchester United desperately has been searching for. Since they have been known for leaking goals due to basic mistakes. His great passing ability would help Manchester United’s build-up from the back. That’s essential for a big team to break down tight and rigid defenses, which Manchester United has also struggled with.
Tactical Versatility and Squad Depth
United’s stacked injury woes are a huge concern for Erik Ten Hag, like the recent three months sidelined Leny Yoro. But now, after so many years, United can finally say they have some serious defensive options in their ranks. De Ligt, the recent recruit, Leny Yoro, who was bought in mid-July, and Lisandro Martinez, with Harry Maguire in the mix, United are stacked up in defense while they have lacked quality in that department for a long time.
Matthijs De Ligt can play in any system, whether four at the back or three. This gives Manchester United various options on how to approach a game. His composure on and off the ball allows him to play in a back three and could help Manchester United push the opposition back into their half for most of the game. United could go with a back three of Leny Yoro, De Ligt, and Lisandro Martinez. It sounds quite formidable, doesn’t it?
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