OFFICIAL: Man Utd complete Matthijs de Ligt transfer

Tom Weber

Updated: 13 Aug 2024 21:21 BST
4 min read

Manchester United have officially completed the signing of Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.

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The Red Devils have paid an initial €45 million for the Netherlands international, who has signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford.

After confirmation of his move to Man Utd, De Ligt told the club's website: "As soon as I heard that Manchester United wanted me, I felt an excitement about the opportunity for a new challenge at such an historic club.

READ MORE: Latest Man Utd transfer news

"In the conversations that followed, I was impressed by the vision that the football leadership set out, and the role they saw for me in it.

“Erik ten Hag shaped the early stages of my career, so he knows how to get the best out of me and I cannot wait to work with him again. I know what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and I’m determined to continue that record at this special club.”

Despite the €62m signing of Leny Yoro, Ten Hag wanted to add another central defender to his first-team squad and Bayern star De Ligt quickly emerged as a top target.

The Dutchman previously worked under Ten Hag at Ajax and was keen on reuniting with his former boss, swiftly agreeing personal terms on a deal until 2029.

However, the move was massively delayed due to Euro 2024 and Man Utd failing to strike a deal with Bayern.

In the meantime, Man Utd went and sealed the signing of Yoro, while De Ligt's move looked increasingly in the balance. In the end, however, all turned out well with the Red Devils parting with a €45 million plus €5m package to match Bayern's €50m valuation.

Man Utd sign De Ligt

De Ligt arrives at Old Trafford after two relatively unhappy stints at Juventus and Bayern. The former Ajax wonderkid has failed to really live up to the earlier hype and repeatedly struggled for regular minutes over the past 12 months.

However, De Ligt is still only 24 and an eminently capable centre-back. Man Utd bosses will feel confident that Ten Hag can be the man to help his compatriot recapture his Ajax form.

At €50m, this looks a fairly solid piece of business from the Red Devils given the fees the defender previously fetched, joining Juventus for €85.5m and Bayern for €67m.

What is intriguing is that Man Utd managed to strike this deal without a major defensive outgoing. It likely means that Ten Hag and company will struggle to do any more business this summer despite the fact that there are still areas of the squad that could do with being strengthened.