Rio Ferdinand has become the latest Manchester United legend to question the signing of Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt.
United have agreed a deal to sign the centre-half from Bayern Munich for a fee of £38.6million with £4.3million in add-ons. Noussair Mazraoui is also set to move to Old Trafford in a separate deal which is expected to proceed once Aaron Wan-Bissaka completes his move to West Ham United.
It will take United’s spending on defensive reinforcements this summer to over £100m having already brought Leny Yoro to the club – with the French star ruled out for three months after suffering a broken metatarsal in his second appearance for the club.
While the capture of Yoro was widely hailed as a major coup for the club, de Ligt’s imminent arrival has sparked some concern among former players with Paul Scholes describing the Netherlands international as ‘second-rate’.
Ferdinand has similar fears after de Ligt’s spells at Juventus and Bayern that ‘filled him with disappointment’, fearing success at Old Trafford will be a ‘big ask’.
‘Mazraoui will play right-back because Wan-Bissaka will be sold. I think that’s a good deal all round. I still think [Diogo] Dalot plays ahead of him,’ Ferdinand told Rio Reacts.
‘But with De Ligt… I watched him at Ajax; he was brilliant that year when they got to the semi-final with ten Hag before being beaten by Spurs. He was commanding, everything you wanted in a defender, composed.
‘Then he goes to Juventus, you look at that and think, great move. A defender going to learn from the likes of [Leonardo] Bonucci and [Giorgio] Chiellini and all them guys. But it just fill me with disappointment with the way his career has gone since then.
‘I think he had 16 starts last season. Lot of injuries, doesn’t start many games in the las two or three years, and Manchester United are spending 45-50 million pounds on him. That’s another two teams who he was a sub for, a backup defender.
‘I think it’s a big ask for him. Big pressure. Big opportunity, but there is a lot of uncertainty over him after his time with Juventus and Bayern Munich.
‘I don’t think he’s the answer. But it’s a great opportunity for him to go in there and be like, “you know what guys, I’m going to rectify my last few seasons and show you the real me.
‘Ten Hag knows him, the character, the person, and I hope he does a good job but I am going to reserve judgement on this one.
‘If Yoro and Martinez are both fit they both start No one else gets a look in. but Yoro is now out for three months. Is de Ligt fit right now to play? Eric Dier was starting in front of him and he was surplus to requirements at Spurs. That tells you a lot. This isn’t a signing that makes me go “wow”. Hopefully ten Hag gets the best out of him.’
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