pwshub.com

Man United once REJECTED an offer to sign Matthijs de Ligt

Manchester United's newcomer Matthijs de Ligt was previously rejected by the Red Devils for a bizarre reason.

On Monday, both De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui were confirmed as the third and fourth signings of Erik ten Hag's side this summer.

The Dutchman was signed to a five-year contract with an option to extend his deal for another year, while his deal is reported to cost £38.5m with £4.27 in add-ons.

Despite being considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe, de Ligt's deal was turned down because one of their scouts believed he would become too fat, based on the genetics of his father.

Manchester United's defender Matthijs de Ligt was previously turned down his the Red Devils as the were feared he can gain weight like his father

The Red Devils have been eager to sign a top-class defender for a few years, with both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer attempting to sign one, but their efforts were often rejected by the board.

At the time, 19-year-old Matthijs de Ligt was highly valued and considered one of the best prospects in Europe on United's radar.

But according to The Mirror, the Red Devils turned down an opportunity to sign the Dutchman, after a scout who recommended him, warned the club about the defender's genetics.

Marcel Bout - previously recruited by Louis van Gaal during his time at Old Trafford - cautioned against the transfer because he was concerned the player could gain weight as his father, which could lead to him losing his pace and power.

It appears that Manchester United's decision did not turn out to be successful, as in the following season, the Dutchman captained and led his side to the semi-final of the Champions League, defeating big names such as Real Madrid and Juventus along the way.

The fear within the Red Devils members led to the Ajax academy product leaving the club to join La Vecchia Signora in 2019.

The 25-year-old player is set to reunite with his former coach and seems excited about the move, saying: 'As soon as I heard that Manchester United wanted me, I felt an excitement about the opportunity for a new challenge at such a historic club.'

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Related stories
1 month ago - CHRIS WHEELER: McTominay's future at Old Trafford is up in the air once again after Manchester United rejected a £30m offer from West Ham last summer.
3 weeks ago - SIMON JONES: With the transfer window set to close on Friday evening, the clock is very much ticking for Premier League sides still looking to strengthen their ranks.
1 month ago - After a summer of rest and recouperation, new managers and those who remain will now be doing their final preparations to get their teams ready to go ahead of opening weekend.
1 month ago - The right-back looks set to join the Red Devils from German side Bayern Munich. The Moroccan reached the Champions League semi-finals with Ajax in 2019 and World Cup semis in 2022.
1 month ago - Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates from the early Sunday kick-off time between Brentford and Crystal Palace.
Other stories
37 minutes ago - JOE BERNSTEIN AT THE GEWISS STADIUM: Mikel Arteta's side had to call on David Raya to pull off a fine double save from Mateo Retegui as they were forced to defend for large periods.
37 minutes ago - Barcelona defender Eric Garcia was eventually sent off in Thursday's Champions League opener against AS Monaco after the referee got his cards muddled up.  
37 minutes ago - Both players have become undroppable under Mikel Arteta and been credited as a major force behind the Gunners' recent Premier League title challenges.
37 minutes ago - David Raya produced two moments of brilliance to stop Arsenal going behind in their Champions League opener against Atalanta on Thursday night.
37 minutes ago - ISAAN KHAN AT THE GEWISS STADIUM: How David Raya denied Mateo Retegui not once, but twice, only he knows.