“I don’t think he’s the answer” - Rio Ferdinand delivers worrying verdict on Manchester United signing Matthijs de Ligt

Reports of Manchester United agreeing a deal to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich have emerged. The figures revealed by Sky Sports were in the range of €50 million, with an initial €45 million plus €5 million in add-ons.

Considering De Ligt's established resume, the price the Red Devils are preparing to pay seems justified, but United legend and pundit Rio Ferdinand opined otherwise.

Speaking about De Ligt's career trajectory, Ferdinand highlighted the Dutchman's early promise at Ajax, where he captained the side to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2019 at the age of 19.

"I watched him at Ajax; he was brilliant that year when they got to the semi-final before being beaten by Spurs. He was commanding, everything you wanted in a defender, composed," the former English international said on his podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents.

However, the former Manchester United defender pointed out that De Ligt's subsequent moves to Juventus and Bayern Munich have been less impressive.

"Then he goes to Juventus, you look at that and think, great move. A defender going to learn from the likes of Bonucci and Chiellini. But it just disappoints me a little the way his career has gone since then.

"Lot of injuries, doesn’t start many games in the last few years, and Manchester United are spending 45-50 million pounds on him," Ferdinand added.

The former United skipped further clarified his reservations regarding the new signing:

"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."

Ferdinand addressed that although Erik ten Hag knows De Ligt well from their time together at Ajax and hoped the defender could rediscover his best form. But he stressed that the competition for places in Manchester United's defence will be fierce, so De Ligt might miss out on a spot in the starting lineup.

“Erik ten Hag obviously knows him and I hope he does a good job. But I’m going to reserve judgment on this, I’m going to wait because if Leny Yoro is fit and Martinez is fit, they’re going to start, no one else gets a look in.

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“Eric Dier was starting in front of him” - Rio Ferdinand on Manchester United's new signing Matthijs de Ligt

Manchester United's defensive struggles last season have been well-documented, as they were by injuries and underwhelming performances. So, Ferdinand sounds sceptical about De Ligt making a difference:

"I think it’s a big ask for him (to make a difference). All eyes are going to be on him, big pressure. (But it’s also a) big opportunity for him. But there’s also a lot of uncertainty with this signing because of his previous seasons with two big clubs - Juventus and Bayern Munich."

Last season, De Light made just 16 starts in the league and missed out on ample minutes due to injury concerns, leading Thomas Tuchel to pick Erik Dier ahead of the Dutch centre-back. Ferdinand believes it's telling of the former Ajax star's current performance level.

“Eric Dier was starting in front of him. Dier was surplus to requirements at Spurs. It tells you a lot.”

Despite his injury struggles, the 24-year-old will look to rediscover the level that once made him one of Europe's most sought-after talents.