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3 weeks ago
14 Matthijs de Ligt has seemingly settled into life at Manchester United after a turbulent start to his tenure.
The centre-half has featured in each of United’s opening four Premier League matches: twice as a starter and twice as a substitute.
In that time, De Ligt has been on the receiving end of two wins and two defeats – more recently a victory, which he played an essential part in, having scored the opening goal vs Southampton on Saturday afternoon. He also put in a stellar shift at the back to ensure the Reds claimed a second clean sheet of the term.
When making the switch from Bayern Munich with Noussair Mazraoui, the pair joined United’s ex-Ajax contingent at Old Trafford, with the likes of Andre Onana, Antony and Lisandro Martinez all former protegees of Erik ten Hag.
Read more: Maligned Utd star reaps the plaudits for his ‘outstanding’ showing vs So’ton, he ‘avenged himself’
While the majority of supporters were just pleased to welcome a proven, tenacious centre-back to the ranks, some did raise their eyebrows over Bayern’s willingness to sell.
De Ligt, 25, had only spent two years in Munich following his move from Juventus in 2022 and predominantly held a starting role when fit.
Yet, the Bavarian outfit were willing to cut ties with the 2018 Golden Boy winner when a suitable bid arrived – and club director Max Eberl has since spoken out to detail the reasoning behind their decision.
Why Bayern facilitated De Ligt’s sale
“I followed it (the fan reaction), including the petition,” he said of the Bayern faithful’s attempts to block any potential exit of the Dutch international; this included a fan-made petition, which garnered over 70,000 signatures.
“I know that many fans identify with him. Nevertheless, I had to make this decision because we also had to sell players. We felt more comfortable with [Dayot] Upamecano and Kim [Min-jae] because they can defend higher up the pitch. And then an offer came in for De Ligt.”
(Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

 
