Matthijs de Ligt signing questioned by Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand with ex-England defender ‘uncertain’ Bayern Munich star will make difference at Old Trafford

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand questions the club’s decision to sign Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on Friday that the Red Devils are on the verge of sealing a move for Bayern Munich and Netherlands centre-back De Ligt. The deal is worth €45 million (£38m/$49m) plus €5m (£4m/$5m) in add-ons.

United do need reinforcement at the heart of their defence with the summer departures of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala and injuries to the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. However, Old Trafford icon Ferdinand believes that 24-year-old De Ligt is not the solution to the club’s defensive woes.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 45-year-old said: “I watched him at Ajax and he was brilliant in that year when Erik ten Hag was the manager, and they got to the semi-final [of the Champions League] and got beat by Spurs. He was brilliant, commanding, everything you want in a defender.

“He’s had a lot of injuries, hasn’t started many games over the last two or three years and Man United are spending £45-50 million on him. Is he going to come into Man United and make a difference? I think it’s a big ask for him and all eyes are going to be on him. Big pressure, big opportunity for him, but there’s a lot of uncertainty I think with this signing because of his previous seasons with two big clubs (Juventus and Bayern Munich) not going as well as we’d have anticipated.”

He added: “I don’t think he’s the answer, but it’s a great opportunity for him to go in there and go ‘You know what guys? I’m going to rectify my last couple of seasons. That’s not the real me, and I’m going to show you.”

Ten Hag’s side did not have the ideal start to the new 2024/25 season as they went down on penalties in the Community Shield against rivals Manchester City on Saturday. They will next face Fulham in the Premier League curtain raiser on Friday at Old Trafford.