Paul Scholes brands £43m Matthijs de Ligt a ‘SECOND-RATE defender’ – and singles out one ‘massive concern’ he has over Man United’s latest signing
Paul Scholes has expressed one “huge concern” over Manchester United’s signing of Matthijs De Ligt, branding the Bayern Munich player a “second-rate defender”.
The centre-back has arrived in a deal worth £43million, with the Red Devils paying around £38million in upfront fees and a further £5million in add-ons.
The former Ajax captain previously worked with coach Erik Ten Hag at the Dutch club before leaving for Juventus in 2019. The coach had wanted to work with the defender for some time.
The 25-year-old De Ligt was photographed at Munich airport on Monday with fellow signing – and former Ajax player – Noussair Mazraoui, as Man United snapped up both Bayern stars as part of Ten Hag’s defensive overhaul.
But Man United legend Scholes, who won 18 major trophies with the club, has expressed serious doubts about the deal. The overlap Fan debate, organized by Sky Betting.
Paul Scholes has expressed one ‘huge concern’ over the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt (pictured) by Man United
The centre-back has agreed a deal worth £43million, which will see the Red Devils pay almost £38million in upfront fees
But Manchester United legend Scholes, who won 18 major trophies with the club, has expressed serious doubts about the deal
He told the programme: ‘At Man Utd we talk about players who don’t fit into their team.
He is [De Ligt] don’t play for them [Bayern]That must be a big concern, especially if Eric Dier is playing for him. That is a huge concern for me.
‘Juventus got rid of him, he wasn’t good enough there and he clearly wasn’t good enough at Bayern Munich either. He comes to us almost as a second-rate defender.’
The 49-year-old also lashed out at his former club, claiming they had a policy of signing former Ten Hag players for huge sums of money.
De Ligt, who is joining United along with his former Ajax colleague Mazraoui, joined the Dutch club’s youth academy at the age of ten, but quickly rose to the first team in 2016.
He led Ten Hag’s team to a famous Champions League semi-final in 2019, before making a big move to Italian giants Juventus that same summer.
After three years in Italy, De Ligt was transferred to Bayern, where he played just 53 games in the past two years.
The central defender played 45 times for his national team, scoring twice, but did not play a single game during this summer’s European Championship.
The 49-year-old also hit out at his former team for apparently having a policy of signing former Ten Hag players for huge sums
The Bayern Munich star was photographed at the airport in Germany on Monday in preparation for the move
The central defender made 45 appearances for his national team, scoring twice, but did not play at this summer’s European Championships.
Man United announced their new signing last night on X, formerly Twitter
De Ligt said an emotional farewell to the fans of his old club Bayern Munich on Tuesday
Scholes’ scathing criticism comes after Graeme Souness delivered a damning verdict on the defender and gave a merciless assessment of De Ligt’s defensive skills.
‘I have my doubts about De Ligt,’ Souness shared on talkSPORT. ‘He didn’t play for the national team at the Euros, he was a squad member.
‘He’s been at two huge football clubs, they normally don’t like to sell players. That tells a story in itself.’
Referring to his explosive early years at Ajax, which culminated in an impressive Champions League season in 2018-19, Souness admitted that “he was a star when he was a boy” but also asked: “Has he progressed since then?”
“I’m not sure he’s what Man United need at the moment,” the former Liverpool player added.
‘Jonny Evans played 23 times for Man United, they desperately need a centre-back.
‘I look at De Ligt, he is a lightweight central defender. What you expect from a central defender is first and foremost defending.’
Man United are desperate to improve their defensive performance for the 2023-24 season. The injury-plagued side have been unable to field a consistent central defensive formation.
However, Souness was adamant that the club’s prayers were unlikely to be answered by Ten Hag’s compatriot.
Graeme Souness (right) was adamant that the Dutchman is not the answer to Utd’s problems
Erik ten Hag (left) previously worked with the player during his time at Ajax (pictured in 2018)
The Dutch manager was at the helm during his compatriot’s brilliant 2018-19 season in Europe
Also pictured at Munich airport was Bayern star Noussair Mazraoui (center)
“It seems like some coaches and managers think it’s all about playing from the back,” he continued.
“Keep the ball out of the net. Same goes for the goalkeeper. Is he better than the Spanish guy (David de Gea) they let walk out the door?
‘He wasn’t good with his feet but he kept the ball out of the net better than (Andre) Onana.’