Matthijs de Ligt's career has not played out according to expectations. Following his meteoric rise at Ajax, many thought that he would go on to become the best defender in the world in the future. But he then went on to have an underwhelming spell at Juventus and his time at Bayern Munich has not been much to write home about either. It looks like the Dutch centre-back could be on the move this summer and both Manchester United and Real Madrid have been linked with him lately.
Real Madrid could certainly do with another centre-back right now. Nacho Fernandez left this summer, no longer remaining a one-club man. On the other hand, both Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are past 30 years of age and the latter is set to come off a long-term injury.
The situation is far from ideal and it is not hard to understand why Real Madrid might have an interest in De Ligt. But as things stand, Manchester United seem to be in pole position for his signature.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano, De Ligt agreed personal terms in June. He is still waiting for Manchester United and not talking to other clubs. Bayern Munich want a €50 million transfer fee for the defender but the Old Trafford side want to pay less and include add-ons as part of the full package.
Matthijs de Ligt update amid Real Madrid and Manchester United links
It would be safe to say that De Ligt's career has been on a downward trajectory since leaving Ajax. Interestingly, he played his best football there under the management of Erik Ten Hag, who is the current Manchester United boss. Easy to see why a reunion might interest the defender.
On the other hand, if there is one team in world football that can unlock the true potential of De Ligt, it has to be Real Madrid. Just think of how many players have thrived at Santiago Bernabeu but struggled to produce the same performances at Manchester United.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for De Ligt. A move to Manchester United seems the more likely route. At the same time, it is unclear whether the rumours of Real Madrid's interest are even accurate or not.