When Manchester United successfully signed Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich in the summer, not many anticipated the strong influence Mazraoui would have during his initial months at the club. Although it’s still early in the season, Mazraoui has proven to be a real success at United, a team that has experienced its fair share of transfer disappointments. The issue with the previously mentioned double deal is that De Ligt is already appearing to be another costly mistake. The Dutch defender was regarded as one of Europe’s top centre-backs when he moved from Ajax to Juventus in 2019, but he has yet to reach the levels that many anticipated. He left Turin after only three seasons and had an even shorter stay at Bayern Munich, moving to United after just two years in the Bundesliga. DISCOVER MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos are letting down United fans with the increase in ticket prices. United supporters genuinely hoped that De Ligt could regain the form he demonstrated at Ajax. That already seems like an unrealistic expectation. It should be noted that just being available for selection is a plus for a United team that is still struggling with injuries, especially in the defense. De Ligt has participated in all 12 of United’s Premier League matches this season, but he has not displayed the dominant presence the team expected and hasn’t met the expectations of a player with an impressive resume from top clubs. However, there is still an opportunity for De Ligt at United, and Ruben Amorim might assist him in regaining his form. Amorim requires a strong leader in the center of his back three, but De Ligt has not shown he can fulfill that role up to now. United took a risk by signing a player who has struggled to consistently display his top performance since leaving Ajax in 2019.
