Although a significant transfer is off the table for Manchester United this January, they will still look to reinforce their squad before the end of deadline day.
Erik ten Hag's squad has been relatively thin all season due to injuries, yet that problem will only worsen with a few players on their way out.
Therefore, to avoid a repeat of the first half of the season, United will become active in the latter stage of the window.
Man United want to sign a centre-back
According to a recent report from The Athletic, Man United have inquired about a potential loan deal for Matthijs de Ligt.
The Dutch centre-back is estimated to be worth £43m as per CIES Football Observatory, but he could become a stop-gap signing this winter.
The fact that United are in a rebuilding period means that a loan seems to be the way forward, alongside their financial fair play restrictions.
Games
70
Goals
8
Assists
5
Yellow cards
7
Red cards
0
Minutes played
6,198
Clean sheets
30
How De Ligt would fit into the United starting XI
Injuries have been a problem across the entire team for the Red Devils this season, but their centre-backs have been particularly affected.
Every single central defender, bar Willy Kambwala, has picked up an injury this season, but luckily, Lisandro Martinez returned to the field against Spurs last time out.
The Argentine is hands-down United's first-choice left centre-back, with Ten Hag valuing his on-the-ball ability and proactivity. However, the boss has yet to find a perfect partner for the number six that he can rely on, which is why the loan move for De Ligt has come into the picture.
The 24-year-old defender was the rock and leader of Ten Hag's Ajax team that reached the semi-final of the 2018/19 Champions League campaign, which is why he's been described as a "generational talent" by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig. However, he has fallen out of favour at Bayern Munich and only played 14 games across all competitions.
Nonetheless, let's take a look at De Ligt's stats from the last year and how they compare to his positional peers from Europe's top five leagues.
Passes completed
67.38
Top 8%
Pass completion %
91.2%
Top 8%
Progressive passes
5.46
Top 8%
Passes into final third
6.01
Top 5%
Touches
82.37
Top 13%
Aerials won
3.52
Top 6%
The biggest attribute of the former Juventus star is his ability to control a game via his technical qualities and vast passing range, which is also one of Martinez's biggest strengths, as highlighted by the fact he had the second most accurate passes per game for United last season.
As a pairing, they would assert so much dominance in possession, rarely losing it while also having the ability to feed those higher up the field. They would also bring the best out of Andre Onana's passing qualities while allowing Ten Hag to switch to his playing out-from-the-back philosophy.
Furthermore, De Ligt's pure power and athleticism allow him to be dominant in the air, which would help United become more dangerous from crosses while also making them less likely to concede from set pieces. This is particularly important when next to Martinez, who ranks in the bottom 2% for aerials won across the top European leagues, as per FBref.
Overall, De Ligt would make United a much more balanced team, and his composed approach would work perfectly alongside the aggressive Argentine. Even if it's just a loan, it could turn Ten Hag's season around.
