If De Ligt were to be signed, he could potentially become the central defensive partner for Lisandro Martinez. While De Ligt may be slightly shorter than Raphael Varane, he won an impressive 2.46 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the 2023-24 season (according to FBref.com), compared to Varane’s 1.68. However, Martinez has only won 1.11 aerial duels per 90 minutes since joining Manchester United.
In addition to his strength in the air, De Ligt is also comfortable on the ball with an impressive 93.1% pass accuracy last season, which surpassed any player at Bayern Munich and was higher than any player at Old Trafford except for Martinez, who had a pass accuracy of 92.7%. This suggests that De Ligt could enhance the team’s ability to play out from the back and provide stability and leadership to a United backline that was tested last season.
De Ligt has already proven himself as a leader on the pitch having captained Ajax at just 19 years old. His natural fit in the heart of defense could provide stability and leadership to a United backline that was tested to its limits last season.
