Matthijs de Ligt emphatically rules out transfer away from Bayern Munich
After pouring cold water on transfer speculation few days ago, Matthijs de Ligt has once again reiterated that he will not leave Bayern Munich in the summer.
Apart from some key young players in the first team, several senior players face uncertain futures at Bayern Munich. The club chiefs are planning a squad overhaul in the summer after a disappointing campaign in the Bundesliga.
In the defensive department, Bayern may sign a central defender in the summer, as they tried to sign Ronald Araujo from FC Barcelona in January. The future of Matthijs de Ligt has been uncertain throughout the season. Reports in Germany have pointed towards a summer departure of De Ligt to make way for a new central defender.
However, things have drastically changed for De Ligt in Ruckrunde. The Dutch defender is delivering good performances consistently. He has earned an extended run in the starting XI after forming a good partnership with Eric Dier.
De Ligt poured cold water over transfer speculation during the international break. The Dutchman went a step further on Tuesday to show his commitment to Bayern. While talking to SportBild and Sky Sports in Germany, De Ligt insisted that he is happy at Bayern and will not seek a transfer in the summer.
""I'm not thinking about a move and can absolutely rule it out. I'm very happy at FC Bayern. The club and the fans have always given me a lot of love. I feel good now. I’m very happy and hopefully we can still play very good games this season and go very far in the Champions League.”"
- Matthijs de Ligt
The Dutch defender struggled for consistent playing time during the first half of the season. Kim Min-jae and Dayot Upamecano were the preferred center-back options for Tuchel. De Ligt was frustrated with his situation, which led to speculation about his future in Munich. Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing De Ligt in the summer.
De Ligt was in the starting XI at the start of Ruckrunde. However, Tuchel reverted to the center-back pairing of Kim Min-jae and Upamecano when the former returned from the Asian Cup. After three consecutive defeats in February, Tuchel changed the personnel, and De Ligt returned to the starting XI. He grabbed this opportunity with both hands and cemented a place in the team.
The departure of Thomas Tuchel may have also played a role in De Ligt’s decision to stay at Bayern. The German coach will leave Die Roten at the end of the season. De Ligt may have considered his future if Tuchel had stayed in Munich. The Dutch defender was certainly not the first-choice option in the heart of defense under Tuchel.
De Ligt enjoyed a very productive debut season at Bayern. He is getting back to his best in Ruckrunde this campaign. The Dutch defender is yet to enter the peak years of his career. Bayern will be pleased with De Ligt’s decision to stay beyond this season.
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