One of the many special things about Manchester United Football Club is the legendary centre-backs they have had at the club. Throughout the Premier League era, and before, there have been some truly iconic central defenders at the Old Trafford club, who have all played a huge part in their successes.
At the start of the Premier League era, Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister were the go-to pairing for Sir Alex Ferguson. Bruce played 398 games for the Red Devils, with Pallister notching up 424 games for the legendary club. They played 307 games at the heart of United’s defence together.
Jaap Stam was a pivotal figure for the Red Devils in their remarkable treble-winning campaign of 1999. He featured 127 times for United in total and helped his side to win three consecutive Premier League titles which included the treble.
Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic formed a legendary partnership for United playing 197 times together. Ferdinand pulled on that famous red shirt 455 times, and Vidic made 300 appearances for United, as they won multiple Premier League titles and a Champions League.
Recently, United have been linked with another centre-back who could end up being the next iconic name on that illustrious list.
Man Utd targetting new centre-back
The player in question here is Bayern Munich and the Netherlands international defender Matthijs de Ligt. The 24-year-old former Ajax man has struggled to settle in at Bayern since joining the club two years ago and could leave Bavaria this summer, with Old Trafford a potential destination.
According to a report from highly reputable journalist David Ornstein, INEOS are 'seriously considering' a move for De Ligt, who is thought to have been 'on the Old Trafford radar' since he broke through at Ajax, and again when he moved to Juventus in the summer of 2019.
As per the report from Ornstein, United’s interest in De Ligt is 'matched by that of manager Erik ten Hag', who previously coached him at Ajax, when the defender first broke through as a teenage prodigy. Ornstein explains that Ten Hag 'would welcome a reunion with his former captain.
According to a prior report from Sky Germany, Bayern would want a transfer fee of £42m, which seems reasonable given he still has three years left on his current contract, as Ornstein points out in his report.
Why De Ligt could replace Vidic
The Dutch international is a player who is highly thought of by Ten Hag. During an interview in 2019, he claimed his Ajax team played such courageous and creative football “because De Ligt is our captain”, high praise for a 19-year-old leading his boyhood club out. He was a player Ten Hag brought through and enjoyed a fantastic time under United’s manager with the Dutch giants.
Competition
Games
Minutes
Eredivisie
48
4320
Champions League
11
990
Champions League qualifiers
6
540
TOTO KNVB Beker
5
380
Total
70
6230
Indeed, it is that leadership element of his game that United could add more of to their side. The likes of Vidic are few and far between in the squad now, from both a leadership and defending point of view, but it is something that De Ligt could bring back to Old Trafford.
For Ten Hag to make the Bayern Munich defender his captain at Ajax aged just 19 years old, speaks volumes about just how highly he rates him. In fact, this can be linked to praise Vidic has received in the past, from legendary midfielder Paul Scholes. The former United number 18 explained that Vidic was a “natural for the role of captain”, before explaining that he is superb at “leading from the front”, similar praise to what De Ligt received from Ten Hag.
However, it is not just here where the similarities between the two end. Both players have received high praise about their defending in the past from former managers. On De Ligt, Ten Hag explained how he “loves the art of defending”, with Sir Alex Ferguson posing the question “how many centre-halves can you name who actually like defending?”, before explaining that “Vidic liked it”.
Indeed, there are similarities between the two as defenders. They are both 6 foot 2 centre-backs who are not afraid of a crunching tackle and are both superb in the air. Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard called him a "monster" for a reason. In fact, as per FBref, De Ligt wins an average of 2.47 aerial duels per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 28% of defenders across Europe.
On the ball, De Ligt is a progressive defender, who ranks in the top 10% for progressive passes per 90 minutes, with 5.57. Not only that, the 24-year-old’s pass completion rate of 93.1% is among the best, ranking him in the top 4% of defenders.
The Dutchman, who earns £260k-per-week, as per Capology, did not feature much feature much for Bayern last season, under former manager Thomas Tuchel. He played just 30 times in all competitions, with 22 of those games coming in the Bundesliga.
He helped to keep seven clean sheets in the German top flight, in what proved to be a disastrous season for the German giants. Bayern failed to win the Bundesliga for the first time in a decade, famously losing out to one of the all-time great German sides, an invincible Bayer Leverkusen managed by Bayern legend Xabi Alonso.
Another concerning factor for United should they sign De Ligt is the constant injury issues he has endured. It is no secret that the Red Devils suffered injuries right throughout the squad all of last season, and De Ligt himself missed 20 games, mainly with a recurring knee ligament injury. That is certainly something United must be careful of.
However, on the face of things, this seems like a smart signing. They would add experience and leadership to a squad largely devoid of it, as well as a classic defender who loves to get stuck into the opposition; in many ways, they would finally be replacing the legendary Serbian defender Vidic.
For a reported fee of just £42m, it could be an excellent piece of business for the Red Devils and INEOS this summer, and one that sets them up for a big season under Ten Hag.
Man Utd plot concrete move for their own Van Dijk in £42m talent
Erik ten Hag is a huge admirer of the Dutch international.
ByTom Lever