EXCLUSIVE
Graeme Souness unimpressed with ‘lightweight’ Matthijs de Ligt in damning verdict on Manchester United transfer
Graeme Souness has been left unimpressed with Manchester United on the verge of signing Matthijs de Ligt.
The 25-year-old has travelled to Manchester for a medical alongside teammate Noussair Mazraoui ahead of a £60million double deal.
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Both players have previously played for United boss Erik ten Hag at Ajax.
Liverpool legend Souness labelled Netherlands international De Ligt ‘lightweight’ in a damning assessment.
He told White and Jordan on talkSPORT: “I’m doubtful about De Ligt. He didn’t get into the national team during the Euros, he was a squad member.
Tony Cascarino questions if Manchester United signing Matthijs De Ligt will actually improve their defence
“He’s been at two enormous football clubs, they normally don’t like to sell players. That in itself tells a story.
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“He was a star when he was a boy. Has he progressed since then? I’m not sure he is what Man United need at this time.
“Jonny Evans played 23 times for Man United, they desperately need a centre-half.
“I look at De Ligt, he’s a lightweight centre-half. What you want from a centre-half first and foremost is to defend.
“It would appear that some coaches and managers think it’s all about playing out from the back.
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“Keep the ball out the back of the net. It’s the same with the goalkeeper. Is he any better than the Spanish boy they allowed to walk out the door?
“He wasn’t good with his feet, but kept the ball out the back of his net better than Onana.”
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He is not the only one to have raised question marks over De Ligt, who Bayern paid £57m for.
“Man United have done this very often,” former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino told talkSPORT.
“I watched De Ligt at Ajax, he’s had moves to Juventus and then Bayern Munich, and he’s not quite as good as when you’d go back to Ajax days.
"And you see that slight decline in a player, yet United seem to want to take them on and want to regenerate them, reignite their career but that strategy hasn’t worked very well.”
De Ligt and Mazraoui would be Man United's third and fourth signings of the season after the additions of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee.
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