The worst kept transfer secret of the 2024 summer has been officially revealed. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, via The New York Times, Matthijs de Ligt will be heading to Old Trafford. The agreement with Bayern Munich is in the vicinity of 50 million euros a year and will be approximately for six years. The defender comes at a high price barring some further financial negotiations that are yet to take place, but it appears that more or less everything is set in stone and good to go.
The deal will also include Noussair Mazraoui remaining teammates with de Ligt, as his transfer was secured for approximately 20 million euros. The defensive tandem was always seen as something of a package deal for Manchester United. But more importantly, it bolsters an area of the team that desperately needed it. A lot has been and can be said about the struggles up top, but the defensive half of the pitch has been equally embarrassing over the past couple of years.
Individually, the talent is there, and in a different situation, it would not be surprising to see some of the players do well at either their respective center-back positions or on the outside. However, for whatever reason, this has been far from the case for far too long. Defenders and their inconsistent performance have long been a staple of not just Erik ten Hag but previous managerial regimes as well. In fact, it has been glaringly so the case that Johnny Evans was seen as a welcomed 'fresh' addition to the lineup and at times was the best defender that the Red Devils had to offer.
This isn't a slight on anyone currently or formerly on the squad but instead points to the overall lack of cohesion and chemistry that is taking place. The fact that it's arguable that someone who spent time away from the club and was able to make an immediate impact should show that it isn't necessarily a personnel issue but is more an indictment on operations as a whole and the overall decision-making process.
Looking for repeat of magic from Matthijs de Ligt
No single transfer, or in this case, transfer pairing, can solve the issues that have plagued this club. But the hope is for the former Ajax players to reinvigorate those currently on the roster and to give ten Hag a much-needed boost and critical depth for the upcoming Premier League campaign. It's no secret that the defense needed help for the upcoming season.
However, if history is any indication, then the Old Trafford faithful may see a return to winning soccer sooner than even the most optimistic fans may have anticipated. A lot is needed for any team to be standing alone at the end of a long, grueling season. Regardless of which league, it is an accomplishment to finish first and to essentially outlast and overcome opponents the best throughout the course of many games stretched over many months of playing.
But this makes this latest stat something of an anomaly. De Ligt arrived at Juventus and won the Serie A. Furthermore, he joined the German club giants, whom he will now be departing, and then too won the Bundesliga. Again, this isn't something to say one way or another or to go overboard with, but it is an interesting coincidence. Winning and silverware seem to follow this player wherever he goes.
Time will tell if those were more him being a part of good situations and in good conditions with the club or if he was the primary catalyst. Either way, winning is a habit, and for a club that has instilled losing as the norm, Matthijs de Ligt could end up proving to be the difference.