There are so many transfer rumours swirling around the football universe at the moment that it’s kind of hard to keep up. Nobody can know for sure one way or another who is going to go where, so we’re just left to sit back and guess for ourselves. Some deals may seem a little bit more obvious than others, but that doesn’t mean a last minute change of direction can’t blow it out of the water entirely.
At this moment in time, it certainly seems as if that is going to be the case for one young man: Matthijs de Ligt. The teenage sensation has been on quite the run of form this season, helping to lead Ajax towards the double – and the semi finals of the UEFA Champions League. It’s been one of those campaigns that restores belief in a club, and in equal measure, makes stars out of players you never would’ve expected.
Remain calm, folks
Over the course of the last few months we’ve heard a series of rumours regarding where the Dutchman will eventually end up, as you’d probably expect given the reputation that comes along with being a player of his calibre. One club that didn’t seem like they were even remotely in the race, however, is Manchester United. The Red Devils just haven’t been able to piece anything together in the last few months both on and off the pitch, but we always knew they could be a danger in the summer transfer window.
Of course, the reason we’re so surprised by this is because it seemed like we had a leading contender for his signature already: Barcelona. The Spanish giants, who have already captured the La Liga title, seemed to be on a crash course with de Ligt just a matter of days ago. They have already confirmed the signing of Frenkie de Jong which is set to be completed in the next few weeks, with Matthijs being tipped to follow in his footsteps.
Could it actually happen?
Alas, there’s all kinds of doubt regarding those rumours now, and it’s hard to know what to believe. Obviously there’s never going to be any real certainty one way or another until someone decides to sign on the dotted line, but it’s hard not to get drawn into the speculation. United have made a series of wrong moves over the course of the last few years and it’s kind of hard to argue otherwise, but this could be the smartest deal of all if they can pull it off.
They need franchise players who are going to be sticking around for many years to come, and it truly does feel like Matthijs de Ligt is going to fit into that category. Barcelona and potentially even Juventus are going to have something to say about that, and the bookmakers are going to have their opinions – but United fans should be allowed to dream. After all, we’ve seen stranger things happen at Old Trafford in the past.
