If De Ligt were to be signed, he would likely take the place of Raphael Varane as Lisandro Martinez’s central defensive partner. De Ligt’s strength in the air would complement Martinez’s tenacity on the pitch. Despite being slightly shorter than Varane, De Ligt won 2.46 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the 2023-24 season, compared to Varane’s 1.68 (according to FBref.com). On the other hand, Martinez has only won 1.11 aerial duels per 90 minutes since joining Manchester.
In addition to his prowess in the air, De Ligt is also comfortable on the ball. His impressive 93.1% pass accuracy last season surpassed that of any player at Bayern Munich and was higher than any player at Old Trafford. While Martinez was close behind with a pass accuracy of 92.7%, no other United defender managed to achieve a pass accuracy of over 90% last season. This suggests that De Ligt could enhance the team’s ability to play out from the back.
Having captained Ajax at the age of 19, De Ligt has already proven himself as a leader on the pitch. His natural fit in the heart of defence could provide stability and leadership to a United backline that was tested to its limits last season.