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Back in the summer of 2019, Matthijs de Ligt was the most sought after defender in the European game. He provided the rock solid base for Ajax during their thrilling run to the Champions League semi-finals under Erik ten Hag, putting himself on the radar of Barcelona and Manchester United in the process.United had to face rejection in that instance, as De Ligt ended up choosing Juventus, who forked out €85 million (£72m/$92m) including add-ons for the Dutchman's services. But fast forward five years, and the 24-year-old is reportedly <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/man-utd-bargain-price-transfer-matthijs-de-ligt-bayern-munich-deal/blt5e14c04baf19915c#csbd8411802837766b" target="_blank">trying to push through a transfer to Old Trafford</a> to revive his flailing career.According to <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13162464/matthijs-de-ligt-bayern-munich-defender-keen-on-move-to-man-utd" target="_blank">Sky Sports</a>, the Red Devils could get a deal over the line for £42 million (€50m/$54m), which seems like a bargain price on the surface. But there is a reason De Ligt's market value has plummeted so dramatically. Juventus cut their losses on De Ligt after three seasons, and now Bayern Munich are set to do the same after just two. The Netherlands international has been unable to cope with the pressure of expectation at the biggest clubs in Italy and Germany, so why would things be any different on the red side of Manchester, where he will face even greater levels of scrutiny?<script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

Erik ten Hag has learned nothing! Matthijs de Ligt transfer swoop is another major Man Utd misstep - Bayern Munich defender has only gone backwards since leaving Ajax

"Many of my idols from the past are also Italians. Such as [Paolo] Maldini, [Franco] Baresi, [Alessandro] Nesta, [Fabio] Cannavaro and [Gaetano] Scirea," De Ligt said in his farewell statement to Ajax after signing for Juventus. "When you talk about defenders, then you soon talk about those names. I actually fell in love with the Italian way of defending and I made a choice based on that."De Ligt would go on to become a Serie A winner during his time at Juventus, while also picking up Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana medals, but he never came close to emulating any of his idols. Then-Bianconeri boss Maurizio Sarri put De Ligt straight into his starting XI after Giorgio Chiellini was laid low with an ACL injury, but the Dutchman's first few months in Turin were defined by a series of individual mistakes.Merih Demiral took his spot in the team for a while as a result, and although De Ligt did manage to regain favour with Sarri as Juve limped to the 2020-21 Scudetto, largely thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's haul of 29 goals, he didn't do enough to justify his hefty price tag. His fortunes didn't improve much after Massimiliano Allegri's return to the club either, which marked the start of a frustrating transitional period for Juve. De Ligt did start to perform more consistently, but still faced regular criticism for his clumsiness on the ball and lack of pace on the turn, and the Bianconeri slumped to back-to-back fourth place finishes in Serie A.

What went wrong at Juve?

Incredibly, Juve still managed to recoup most of their initial investment in De Ligt. Bayern snapped the centre-back up for €67m (£57m/$72m) in July 2022, handing him a five-year contract.De Ligt had fallen on his feet, and had <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/de-ligt-backwards-step-juventus-bayern-munich-transfer/blt5b9766437476497f" target="_blank">plenty of excuses ready</a> for his failed stint in Turin. “I was captain at Ajax and felt like I had to lead this team," he said in an interview with ESPN. "Of course, if you then go to a team that has such legends in defence and in goal, for a guy of 19 it might be a bit difficult at first to express yourself in the way you actually could. In a way, I was less myself."The Ajax academy graduate added: "It’s a completely different style of defending. At Ajax you press really high, you take risks, at Juventus it’s more about what is behind you. In Italy the pace of the league is also a little bit slower. I came to Juventus with the idea of playing more attacking football."So much for being "in love with the Italian way". Still, Bayern felt that the Bundesliga was the ideal place for De Ligt to unlock his true potential, and to begin with, they were proven right. Bayern clinched a record-extending 11th successive league title, and De Ligt made the Bundesliga Team of the Season as a reward for his impressive performances. However, the club's harsh decision to axe Julian Nagelsmann with just two months of the campaign remaining had big implications on De Ligt's standing in the squad.To put it plainly, Nagelsmann's successor, Thomas Tuchel, just didn't have the same faith in De Ligt. Bayern signed Kim Min-jae last summer and then Eric Dier in January as Tuchel made it a priority to bolster his defensive options, and De Ligt saw his minutes significantly reduced. Bad luck with injuries played a part, and De Ligt did finish 2023-24 strongly, but Bayern ultimately fell to their <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/harry-kane-let-down-bayern-munich-england-striker-blame-nightmare-season-thomas-tuchel-real-madrid-substitution/blt2221f9369ba676db" target="_blank">first trophyless campaign in 12 years</a>. Tuchel paid the price with his job and now <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/burnley-bayern-munich-vincent-kompany-baffling-appointment-shambolic-search-thomas-tuchel-replacement/blt69ea5aeb5653c948" target="_blank">Vincent Kompany has been drafted in to kickstart a new era</a>, which apparently will not include De Ligt.

More chaos in Germany

De Ligt is reportedly the best-paid defender at Bayern, and striking off his wages will allow Kompany to start shaping the squad in his own image. Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah is said to be Bayern's first choice replacement for De Ligt, while they are also close to sealing <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/revealed-why-michael-olise-opted-join-harry-kane-vincent-kompany-bayern-munich-instead-of-chelsea-transfer/blta6b3ab4b51feb5dd" target="_blank">deals for highly-rated Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise</a> and <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-cm/lists/bayern-munich-reach-xavi-simons-transfer-agreement-decides-he-wants-psg-exit-rb-leipzig-challenge/bltea22c49737692593" target="_blank">Paris Saint-Germain's Xavi Simons</a>, who shone on loan at RB Leipzig last term.Bayern's summer spending will go far beyond the €100m (£85m/$108m) mark, with a €46m (£38m/$48m) <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/joao-palhinha-bayern-munich-portugal-star-join-harry-kane-allianz-arena-fulham-agree-transfer-vincent-kompany/bltc0cc61ef6c606265#cs7fc3df0404d1e981" target="_blank">deal for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha</a> already wrapped up, and selling De Ligt will be crucial to help balance the books. Enter United. Jarrad Branthwaite was initially the Red Devils' number one target for the summer, but they've backed off due to Everton's £70m ($89m) asking price, and De Ligt represents a more affordable alternative. It seems like a move that suits all parties concerned. De Ligt needs another fresh start, and Ten Hag may believe he can get the best out of him again, having overseen his meteoric rise to prominence at Ajax.

Ten Hag reunion on the cards

However, one look at Ten Hag's recruitment record at United should be enough to leave fans with huge concerns. Ten Hag has made a <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/erik-ten-hag-eredivisie-players-man-utd-weakened-squad-sir-jim-ratcliffe-transfer-strategy-end/bltbf224c653d67d885" target="_blank">habit of signing players he's worked with in the past</a>, with largely disastrous results. Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez and mercurial Brazilian Antony both followed Ten Hag to Old Trafford from Ajax in the summer of 2022. United also signed Christian Eriksen on a free transfer, with the Dane having trained under Ten Hag in Amsterdam after his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, while the Dutch coach also tried in vain to sign former Ajax playmaker Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.And last summer, Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana swapped Johan Cruyff ArenA for Old Trafford before Sofyan Amrabat, who played for Utrecht when Ten Hag was in charge of the Eredivisie side between 2015 and 2017, joined United on loan from Fiorentina. Of all these new additions, Martinez is the only one who can be considered a success.Eriksen has slowed down significantly with age. Amrabat became a laughing stock as United endured their worst-ever Premier League season, and Onana didn't do enough to prove himself as an upgrade on beloved former No.1 David de Gea. Antony, meanwhile, is destined to go down as <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/man-utd-biggest-flop-signings-glazer-era-ranked/blt6868a6a372906f4c" target="_blank">the biggest flop in the club's entire history</a>.And yet clearly Ten Hag has learned nothing from his mistakes. De Ligt is not the same player he was at Ajax. He's gained invaluable experience at an elite level, but has been drained of the confidence that set him apart from his peers as a youngster, and getting that back in an environment as uncompromising as the Premier League will be no easy feat.

Ajax nostalgia

De Ligt has also had a very up-and-down international career. He has 45 caps under his belt to date, but has not come close to living up to his billing as a generational talent, and is yet to make a positive mark at a major tournament.The Netherlands were knocked out of Euro 2020 at the last-16 stage after a dismal 2-0 defeat to the Czech Republic, with De Ligt painted as the villain after getting himself sent-off with the scoreline still level early in the second half. He started his country's first game at the World Cup in Qatar a year later, only to be dropped to the bench by Louis van Gaal for the rest of the tournament as the Oranje made it to the quarter-finals.And now, he can't even get on the pitch under Van Gaal's successor, Ronald Koeman. De Ligt did make <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/netherlands-euro-2024-squad-ronald-koeman/blt13e39a26df9a77fc" target="_blank">Koeman's final squad</a> for the latest European Championship, but has been an unused substitute in all four of the Netherlands' games so far. Virgil van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij have been Koeman's first choice centre-back pairing in Germany, with Tottenham's Mickey van de Ven also seeing plenty of action off the bench. Nathan Ake can also fill in in the heart of the defence, which means De Ligt is currently fourth in the pecking order, and that's unlikely to change when the Netherlands meet Turkey in the last eight.De Ligt admitted to seeking help from a psychologist in the group stage, telling reporters: "These kinds of moments can be tough, by talking about it you make things lighter and you can put the energy back on the pitch."He also said he had a "feeling I will still be important at this tournament", but Koeman won't mess with a winning formula after <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/netherlands-player-ratings-vs-romania-cody-gakpo-donyell-malen-liverpool-euro-2024-last-16-dutch-quarter-final/blt684444135a212533" target="_blank">his team's superb 3-0 win over Romania</a> in the round of 16. United are planning to spend over £40m on a player who is not a guaranteed starter for his club or country, which is another damning indictment of their muddled recruitment policy.

Not needed by his country

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of a 25 percent stake in United was supposed to signal a much-needed revolution. It has been reported that INEOS will overhaul the playing squad ahead of the 2024-25 season, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/man-utd-confirm-dan-ashworth-appointment-sporting-director-newcastle-legal-dispute/blte8474a2392ea9096" target="_blank">with Dan Ashworth set to have a leading role</a> in that process as the club's new sporting director.It was also assumed that Ten Hag's decision-making power when it comes to new signings would be removed, but the Red Devils' misguided pursuit of De Ligt suggests that is not the case. The Bayern man is being handed a lifeline that he scarcely deserves, and it won't reflect well on INEOS if he proves to be another waste of time and resources.That's not to say that De Ligt is a terrible footballer. He's a two-footed, ball playing centre-half who reads the game well, and he boasts an imposing physical frame that makes him difficult to beat in one-on-one duels. But he's not a world-class defender, and probably never will be. De Ligt hasn't progressed to the next level in the last five years, despite playing alongside some of the best players in the world. At United, he won't have that luxury.He will also see his performances analysed in greater detail than ever before, and it remains to be seen if he has the mental strength to deal with that. It's certainly fair to say that United's limited summer budget could be better spent elsewhere. But then, supporters have gotten used to mediocrity under Ten Hag, and it's the kind of move that will come as a surprise to no one now that <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/10-problems-erik-ten-hag-ineos-solve-summer-man-utd-manager-fighting/blte06339343b643ec9" target="_blank">he's been handed a new two-year contract</a>.

What's next?

Erik ten Hag has learned nothing! Matthijs de Ligt transfer swoop is another major Man Utd misstep - Bayern Munich defender has only gone backwards since leaving Ajax | Goal.com Australia

GOAL examines why Manchester United&apos;s proposed capture of Matthijs de Ligt represents another major misstep for Erik ten Hag, who has seemingly learned nothing from his past mistakes.