Manchester United face up to alarming £43m transfer reality
When Manchester United secured the double signing of Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich in the summer, few would have envisioned the former having the impact he has in his early months at the club.
Though still early days, Mazraoui has been a genuine success story at United, a club all too familiar with transfer flops. The problem with the aforementioned double deal is that De Ligt is already looking like another expensive error.
The Dutchman was one of the most highly-rated centre-backs in Europe when he left Ajax for Juventus in 2019, but since then he has never threatened to hit the heights many expected of him. His stint in Turin came to an end after just three seasons and he spent even less time at Bayern Munich, signing for United after just two years in the Bundesliga.
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There was genuine hope amongst United supporters that De Ligt could recapture the form he showed at Ajax. That's already looking like a pipe dream.
It must be said that purely being available for selection is a positive in a United side that continues to be blighted by injuries, particularly in defence. De Ligt has played in all 12 of United's Premier League outings so far this season, yet he's struggled to be the commanding figure United hoped he would be and has failed to live up to the billing of a player who arrived with a list of former clubs on his CV that the best of the best would be proud of.
There's still time for De Ligt at United and Ruben Amorim may well be able to help him return to his best. However, Amorim needs the player in the centre of his back three to be a commanding presence and there has been little to suggest De Ligt can be that man so far.
United took a gamble in signing a player who had failed to consistently showcase his best form since his Ajax exit in 2019. So far there has been little evidence to suggest the gamble will pay off.
