Will De Ligt finally settle down at Man Utd?

Matthijs de Ligt has struggled to find a footballing home.

At nan property of 25, nan Netherlands defender is pinch his 4th awesome European nine having completed a move to Manchester United from Bayern Munich for an first £38.5m.

Two and a half years successful nan Ajax squad aft coming done nan academy, 3 years astatine Juventus and 2 astatine Bayern - pinch each transportation interest smaller than nan last.

Could Old Trafford beryllium wherever he yet settles down, and could he yet beryllium nan reply to United's protect issues?

Five years ago, De Ligt was 1 of European football's hottest properties.

After captaining Erik 10 Hag's Ajax to a memorable tally to nan Champions League semi-finals aged conscionable 19, United were 1 of galore clubs huddled together for his signature.

By that clip he had already played 77 times successful nan Eredivisie and succeeded Kylian Mbappe arsenic nan 2018 Golden Boy - becoming nan first defender to triumph nan award.

Among galore records he collapsed successful nan Netherlands, he became Ajax's youngest afloat debutant, nan youngest subordinate to characteristic successful a European final, and nan youngest subordinate to correspond his state since 1931.

Despite liking from United, he joined Juventus for £67.5m, making him nan Italian top-flight's astir costly defender.

He went connected to triumph 1 Serie A title and 1 Coppa Italia successful 117 appearances but nan move was mixed for him and, conscionable 3 years into a five-year deal, he joined Bayern successful 2022 for £65.6m.

He played 73 games for nan German nine and won 1 Bundesliga title, but again grounded to make nan effect he was expected to and was near connected nan Netherlands chair astatine Euro 2024.

Having described himself arsenic a "leader" successful nan past, nan combative ball-playing centre-half will dream his move to Old Trafford reignites his career, pinch nan Red Devils hopeless to amended connected past season's protect record, which near them pinch a antagonistic extremity difference.

He besides joins Andre Onana, Antony and Lisandro Martinez arsenic erstwhile Ajax players reunited pinch Ten Hag.

De Ligt is United's 2nd big-money summertime signing astatine centre-back aft nan £52m recruitment of 18-year-old Lille defender Leny Yoro.

The Frenchman is retired for 3 months pinch a surgery ft suffered during nan pre-season circuit of nan United States.

"We will ne'er cognize really overmuch United would person stretched a ‘tight’ Profit and Sustainability position had Yoro not been ruled out, but Ten Hag felt he had to act," said BBC Sport main shot news writer Simon Stone.

De Ligt will compete pinch erstwhile nine skipper Harry Maguire and Argentina's Martinez, who incidentally replaced him successful nan Ajax squad successful 2019.

Raphael Varane near nan nine this summer.

"Lisandro Martinez has to beryllium viewed arsenic nan first prime successful nan near centre-back domiciled erstwhile United person a left-back available," said Stone. "That intends De Ligt and Harry Maguire fighting it retired for nan different slot until Yoro is fresh to return, which will adhd different dimension.

"Ten Hag has tended to deliberation Maguire’s assemblage activity doesn’t lend itself to opening nan crippled retired quickly capable erstwhile United play retired from nan back. Even successful nan Community Shield, it was clear that is nan way United are heading down fixed really often goalkeeper Andre Onana had possession pinch nan shot astatine his feet."

Veteran Jonny Evans is nan different centre-back option, pinch Swede Victor Lindelof apt to time off nan club.

De Ligt was a man successful immense request erstwhile he near Ajax successful 2019 - but now Bayern were happy to fto him spell moreover though summertime signing Hiroki Ito has surgery his foot.

"De Ligt was viewed arsenic 1 of nan astir promising young defenders successful nan world erstwhile he skippered Ajax to wrong a infinitesimal of nan Champions League last successful 2019," Stone said.

"However, he was only 19 astatine nan clip and though Juventus paid £67.5m for him, it was done pinch an acknowledgement he still had a batch to learn.

"The problem was he joined a nine that had a stone coagulated protect pairing successful Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini and was besides heading down a different way commercially pursuing nan presence of Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Chiellini did get injured rather early but flaws successful De Ligt’s crippled astir his positional consciousness pinch nan shot astatine his feet, and besides search opponents, were exposed successful what is simply a method league.

"In addition, location is simply a attraction rumor that wasn’t really evident astatine Ajax but was heightened astatine Juventus arsenic Bonucci has akin problems.

"Add Ronaldo into nan operation and performances started to dip, which affected nan assurance astir nan nine and 3 changes of manager. The stableness astir Juve disappeared, they stopped winning titles, everyone sewage criticised and nan ownership was sucked successful by nan European Super League debacle."

Each transportation interest has been little than nan last. Juve paid Ajax £67.5m successful 2019, Bayern shelled retired £65.6m successful 2022 and United person paid £38.5m.

Stone continued: "He played a batch of games for Bayern but astatine a clip erstwhile they went connected nan aforesaid benignant of descent arsenic Juventus, almost losing nan title successful 2023 to Borussia Dortmund and past really doing it past season.

"It intends nan spotlight has been connected him for 5 years and critics person kept picking astatine what he can’t do well, alternatively than nan positives, for illustration activity and confidence.

"It intends astir consciousness he is still nary amended than he was successful 2019, and nan weaknesses it was already known he had person still not been solved."

Germany shot master Constantin Eckner said: "It is safe to opportunity that De Ligt's move to Bayern successful 2022 did not wholly cookware retired arsenic anticipated.

"Even though nan Dutch defender struggled astatine times during his spell successful Italy, he was still viewed arsenic 1 of nan astir talented centre-backs successful Europe. At first, De Ligt did not needfully impressment but was rather accordant successful his performances for nan German powerhouse, without committing excessively galore costly mistakes.

"During nan 2nd half of nan 2022-23 season, successful which Bayern sacked Julian Nagelsmann and hired Thomas Tuchel arsenic his replacement, De Ligt progressively stepped up his crippled and was arguably nan champion subordinate successful nan Bundesliga."

After that promising tally of form, it seemed for illustration past play would beryllium nan making of De Ligt.

But "the other happened", said Eckner.

"De Ligt and Tuchel recovered themselves astatine likelihood for a while, pinch nan Dutchman demanding to beryllium a regular starter and anchor astatine nan back, while Tuchel was often rotating his centre-backs until nan later stages of nan play erstwhile he picked De Ligt and Eric Dier arsenic his preferred pairing.

"De Ligt seems to person a precocious sentiment of himself and his abilities, frankincense he does not hide his dissatisfaction if he sits connected nan bench."

New head Vincent Kompany, who near Burnley for Bayern this summer, is said to spot Dayot Upamecano arsenic his first-choice centre-back, pinch Englishman Dier and South Korea's Kim Min-jae battling for nan 2nd spot.

So really will De Ligt get connected astatine Old Trafford?

Eckner said: "He has proven that he possesses nan imaginable to beryllium 1 of nan much awesome defenders successful immoderate league, but performing consistently and not being upset astir immoderate setbacks is cardinal now that he joins Manchester United.

"Perhaps nan hype surrounding him amid his move from Ajax to Juventus successful 2019 put excessively overmuch unit connected a young player, and he still needs clip to fig retired really to execute arsenic effortlessly arsenic he did arsenic a teenage sensation backmost successful Amsterdam."