Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood has asked Manchester United fans not to be too excited about Matthijs de Ligt’s arrival. Sherwood believes the Dutch defender has not lived up to his potential, and Erik ten Hag must put in a shift to get the best out of him.
Manchester United Has Signed Matthijs de Ligt From Bayern Munich
Putting an end to weeks of speculation, Manchester United has officially signed Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich. The Red Devils have signed him for a reported £38 million ($48.80 million), which could rise to £45 million ($57.79 million) including add-ons.
The transfer to Manchester United marks De Ligt’s third switch since July 2019. In 2019, he joined Juventus from Ajax. After three seasons in Italy, De Ligt joined Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich.
At Juventus, he played 117 games across competitions in three seasons, scoring eight times and winning three trophies, including one Serie A title. In the following two seasons, he featured in 73 games for the Bundesliga giant, scoring five times and winning one league title.
De Ligt failed to impress during his stay at Bayern, especially in his second season. As a result, he warmed the bench for the Netherlands in the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024).
Tim Sherwood Issues Matthijs de Ligt Warning
De Ligt, who dazzled the soccer fraternity in his teens at Ajax, has generated a lot of excitement at Manchester United. Sherwood, however, believes De Ligt has not done enough in recent years to justify it.
“If I were a United fan I wouldn’t be jumping up and down with excitement,” he said (via Football365).
“When he was a younger player he was a very good prospect but he has gone to a big club and lost his way – he needs to find a rhythm again.”
Sherwood added:
“Ten Hag needs to work with him. For that kind of money, you’d expect him to play but there is no guarantee because he has made some big-money signings and they have sat on the bench next to him. I’m sure the new hierarchy will say, ‘We got him for you, you’ll need to bed him in’.
“Is he better than Harry Maguire? I am not sure. He’s certainly not better than [Lisandro] Martinez.”
De Ligt played his best game under Ten Hag at Ajax across the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. He featured in 70 matches under the Dutch tactician, scoring eight times. De Ligt’s heroics helped Ajax to the Eredivisie title and the Dutch Cup in the 2018-19 season.
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