It’s that time of year again.
Rumours, ridiculous prices, low-ball offers and maybe even a deal or two. The summer transfer window is officially open and United – who have a recent history of getting our pants pulled down in the transfer market – are looking to get business done early this time.
We have big gaps all over the pitch, and in my opinion we should be looking to part ways with up to 16 squad members! Reinforcements are definitely needed.
In this series, we’ll look at three of the strongest contenders for three of our most pressing positions, and try and figure out how they might fit in at United and whether they are the right signings.
Those three players are Matthis de Ligt at centre half, Manuel Ugarte in midfield and Joshua Zirkzee up front.
Lets start with the Dutch defender, Matthis de Ligt.
Matthis de Ligt
Position: Centre back
Current club: Bayern Munich
Nationality: Dutch
Age: 24
Height: 6’2″
Potential Transfer Fee: £35-45m
Domestic appearances 23/24: 30
Goals/clean sheets 23/24: 2/9
Profile: De Ligt joined Juventus in a high-profile move from Ajax after their much-touted Champions League heroics in 2019, for a staggering £72.4m; the biggest ever fee for a teenage defender.
He proved vital to Juve, helping them win a Serie A in the 19/20 season, and the Coppa Italia the following two years. A shoulder injury kept him out for around 3 months in the 20/21 season, but he still played the majority of league games (27), and played 31 in 21/22.
He moved to Bayern in 22/23 for around £68m, winning the Bubdesliga and DFL-Supercup in his first season with the German giants. Last season, he sustained recurring knee injuries, which led to new coach Thomas Tuchel to start Upamecano and Kim Min-Jae ahead of him.
At United: United have Lisandro Martinez as a nailed-on starting centre back when he is fit, but the other CB position is very much up for grabs.
Raphael Varane was probably our best bet last season, followed by Harry Maguire, but Maguire’s distribution and playing out from the back has been questioned and Varane has left the club. Alternatives are Jonny Evans, Willy Kambwala and Victor Lindelof; none of whom are ideal for different reasons and two of whom could well leave the cub. There is also the fact that Martinez has been injury-prone and could end up missing games himself.
We are crying out for another quality player here in his prime, who can defend but also build from the back, and De Ligt fits this profile. Not only is he strong, tenacious and great in the air, but he far surpasses our 3 main centre back options from last season for progressive passes and final third passes; categories for which he is in the 93rd and 96th percentile (i.e. elite) for defenders:
Him and Martinez would make a formidable, aggressive defensive duo that could handle the biggest and best centre forwards both in the air and on the ground, and with their excellent range of passing, should be much more resistant to a high press than we were last season, and should be able to start attacks quicker.
Additionally, the player is well-know to Erik Ten Hag, who managed him at Ajax. This would hopefully make integrating De Ligt into the squad easier, as the manager is intimately familiar with his strengths, weaknesses, personality, etc.
Drawbacks: De Ligt is on a salary thought to be in the region of around £300k/week. Under Ineos, United seem to be actively trying to dissuade inflated salaries like this. However, the noises coming from Germany seem to suggest that the player himself would be OK with a salary cut.
Injuries: De Ligt seems somewhat injury-prone, and fell down the pecking order at Bayern last season due to this. None of these were hugely serious injuries, but they do start to add up, with 22 games missed in two seasons for Bayern:
Verdict: A potential great signing at the right price. United should go full steam ahead with this transfer and take on board the risk of the injury that De Ligt brings.