Despite the Netherlands’ convincing victory over Romania to advance to the quarter-finals of the Euros, there’s a disappointed figure in the squad: defender Matthijs de Ligt has yet to feature in the 2024 UEFA European Championship.
The 24-year-old Dutch center back is going through one of the toughest periods of his career. Despite being selected by head coach Ronald Koeman for the Euros, he has been confined to the bench.
In the tournament, Koeman has favored the partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Stefan de Vrij, leaving De Ligt watching from the sidelines.
De Ligt was once regarded as one of the most promising central defenders in Dutch football. However, his international journey has been marred by setbacks.
In March 2017, at just 17 years old, he made his debut against Bulgaria but committed a costly error that led to a 0-2 defeat. Manager Danny Blind substituted him early in the second half. The loss dashed the Netherlands’ World Cup qualification hopes.
In the 2020 Euros, De Ligt became the scapegoat in the Round of 16 match against the Czech Republic. He was sent off for handling the ball in an attempt to stop a counter-attack, and the Dutch team subsequently bowed out with a reduced squad.
At the 2022 World Cup, De Ligt’s situation didn’t improve. He started only in the group stage match against Senegal before being dropped by Coach Louis van Gaal. He had a brief appearance in the Round of 16 but then disappeared from the squad.
Heading into the 2024 Euros, De Ligt regained form at the club level. In the 2023/24 season, he became a key player under Bayern Munich’s manager Thomas Tuchel, clocking 1,391 minutes in the Bundesliga and 467 minutes in the UEFA Champions League.
By the end of the season, De Ligt had established himself as a regular starter under Tuchel. Nevertheless, it wasn’t enough to convince the Dutch national team boss Koeman.
Players like Van Dijk, Nathan Ake, and De Vrij, who have performed well at the club level, have been preferred by Koeman, a manager not known for making frequent changes.
Experts speculate that Koeman might have identified shortcomings in De Ligt or perceived some inconsistency, which led to his exclusion. The defender’s history of errors in crucial matches could also be a factor.
Notably, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that De Ligt is on the verge of joining Manchester United. According to Romano, “De Ligt has been given the green light for Manchester United. The club has direct contact with his agent, Rafaela Pimenta. Personal terms are not an issue since she’s only negotiating with Manchester United. Pimenta prioritizes United as De Ligt’s next destination after Bayern, despite the Red Devils playing in the Europa League instead of the Champions League next season. Now, it all depends on the final negotiations between United and Bayern.”
Manchester United has submitted their first official bid for De Ligt, valued at £35 million (€30 million plus add-ons), close to Bayern’s demands. Bayern is expected to accept the offer, as they no longer wish to retain De Ligt. If United secures De Ligt’s signature, they will cease their pursuit of Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite. Manchester United initially considered Branthwaite as a priority, but a £70 million asking price from Everton quickly cooled their interest.