The less said about Man United’s defensive woes during the 2023/24 campaign the better.
Erik ten Hag’s abilities were sorely tested throughout last season, given that he had a backline which appeared to change on a weekly basis.
Despite an awful Champions League campaign and a less than satisfactory season domestically, the winning of the FA Cup against favourites, Man City, may just have been the spark that Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to see before determining who would lead the team thereafter.
In the end, the Dutchman was cleared to stay on, affording him the opportunity to rebuild in crucial areas of the squad.
It is perhaps no surprise to understand that the first thing that ten Hag is going to concentrate on is his leaky back line.
Embarrassingly for such a storied outfit, the Red Devils had a negative goal difference last season.
Out of all of the top eight teams in the Premier League, they were the only one to let in more than they scored.
It’s no surprise then to understand that huge Dutch news outlet, De Telegraaf, are reporting on a United move for Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt, with a five-year deal said to be on the table.
The 24-year-old is a player that ten Hag knows well, having made him captain of his Ajax side at 19 years of age.
It isn’t clear at this stage how much the Bavarian giants will want for their man, though he’s unlikely to come cheap given that he still has three years to run on his current deal.
If Sir Jim Ratcliffe really wants to make a splash in the transfer market, however, this could be the first deal of many.
Assuming de Ligt doesn’t fall prey to United’s injury curse, he could provide exactly what ten Hag has been looking for from his central defenders.
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