Erik ten Hag has welcomed the acquisition of Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt by Manchester United.
The pair worked together at Ajax and won the Eredivisie together in 2019.
3
Centre-back Leny Yoro joined the club this week, but United are yet to adequately replace Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala.
Now coach Ten Hag has broken his silence on the rumors that he wants to sign his former defender, who will move to Bayern in 2022.
Ten Hag told AD Sportwereld: “We still have to wait and see whether de Ligt will come.”
“But the good thing is that I was away from the trial for three or four weeks while I was on vacation.
“During this time, it was really the club, the newly established scouting and recruitment department, that brought in these players.
“It is actually a coincidence that there are also Dutch players. First and foremost, these are players who were brought in by our organization.
“But of course I support them, that’s clear – and we still make the decision together.”
He continued: “I know Matthijs well, of course, I will not deny that.
3
3
“I wanted to sign him two years ago, but he was already very far along at Bayern Munich.
“But believe it or not, it didn’t come out of my head during this process.”
United have already delighted fans with their transfer deals this summer.
Teenage defender Yoro joined from Lille for £52 million, while Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee also joined Bayern for £36 million.
The Pitch Prospect has learned that United have also increased their interest in Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte.
The Red Devils have made offers for Everton centre-back Jarrard Branthwaite but have fallen short of the Toffees’ £70 million asking price.
And Ten Hag is confident that the club is taking the right steps to move forward under new investor INEOS, even if the scouting and recruitment departments have taken control of compiling the list of transfer targets.
“I know that this creates a certain image, of course I understand how it works,” he explained.
“But ultimately the most important criterion is: is the player good or not good? Does he fit in terms of character, age and of course does he have the quality we are looking for.”
De Ligt made 30 appearances for Bayern last season, scoring two goals and providing one assist as the German team finished third in the Bundesliga.