Matthijs de Ligt weighing up Bayern Munich future as Manchester United keep tabs on Dutch defender

Dutch center back, Matthijs de Ligt has once more drawn links to long-time suitors, Manchester United this week, amid reports from Germany that the former Ajax man is weighing up his immediate future with Bayern Munich, amid a recent lack of minutes, and the Bundesliga club’s recent acquisition of English center back, Eric Dier.

de Ligt, a long-time target of Old Trafford side, Manchester United, has been reportedly pushed out by German coach, Thomas Tuchel since his arrival at the Allianz Arena from Premier League side, Chelsea – with French center half, Dayot Upamecano proving an unexpendable asset to the side during their UEFA Champions League group stage run. 

And long linked with money switch to United from Ajax – prior to his move to Italian giants, Juventus, de Ligt, who emerged in to the Amsterdam side during the management tenure of current United boss, Erik ten Hag, recently voiced his frustration with a lack of game time since his 2022 move to Munich.

“What can I tell you? Matthijs de Ligt said. “I haven’t played much in the last four matches, it’s terrible, and of course, it’s not pleasant because I always want to play. I do my job on the pitch. I can’t do anything more. If the coach explained his reasons to me. No, he didn’t. No idea, you’ll have to ask the coach. I’m doing what the coach wants and now I’ve played about 10 minutes as a No. 6 in the last two games.”

And while oddsmakers are currently pricing Tuchel’s former side, Chelsea as the early betting favorites to sign de Ligt in the near future as per the best sites on the scene and are sure to compile updated odds on a potential summer move for the Dutch central defender to make a move to Manchester United. 

Furthermore, with the growing uncertainty surrounding the immediate future of French defender, Raphael Varane at Manchester United, fans have called in their droves for the INEOS-backed club to sign de Ligt in a big-money move this summer.

With the recent uptake in the form of English center back, Harry Maguire before his recent injury setback, and the impending return to first-team football for Argentine ball-playing defender, Lisandro Martinez – the addition of Dutch center back, de Ligt to the Manchester side ahead of next season would prove a major acquisition for the newly-backed Sir Jim Ratcliffe side.

Joining Juventus back in 2019, de Ligt, who became the first defender to scoop the Golden Boy award back in 2018, made a total of 117 first team appearances for ‘The Old Lady’ during a three-season tenure in Turin, before making a big-money move to Munich.

However, this season, in the Bundesliga, de Ligt has managed just nine appearances, compared to 31 appearances in the league alone in his debut season in German football. 

Receiving major plaudits from veteran Italian coach, Marcello Lippi during his spell at Juventus, de Ligt was described as better-versed as his age than the likes of center back royalty including Alessandro Nesta, Franco Barsei, Ciro Ferrara, Fabio Cannavaro, and Marco Materazzi.