- Manchester United centre-back praised Julian Nagelsmann
- Matthijs De Ligt played under the German for nine months
- Nagelsmann is a frontrunner for the United job
Manchester United centre-back Matthijs De Ligt may have already given INEOS the lowdown on managerial candidate Julian Nagelsmann.
Three years ago, during their time together at Bayern Munich, De Ligt admitted he felt “better with him.” Dutch centre-back played under the German coach for nine months during the 2022/23 season, and quickly formed a strong understanding.
With De Ligt on the pitch, Nagelsmann’s side lost just three matches. Across 32 games together, they posted an average of 2.19 points per game—numbers that underline both consistency and control.
Silverware proved limited in that spell, with the duo lifting the 2022 DFL-Supercup, although Bayern would go on to secure the 2022/23 Bundesliga title after Nagelsmann’s dismissal in March.
Despite being just 26 and only a decade into his career, De Ligt has already played under 18 different managers—making his endorsement of Nagelsmann carry added weight.
De Ligt Compared Nagelsmann to Ten Hag
Just weeks after the 2022 FIFA World Cup came to a dramatic close, Bayern returned to Qatar for a mid-season training camp. It was there that De Ligt drew comparisons between his former coach, Erik ten Hag, and his then-current manager, Nagelsmann (via Bavarian Football Works):
“He [Nagelsmann] is a coach who talks to the players a lot. His training exercises are similar to Erik ten Hag, my former coach at Ajax. I feel like I’m getting a little bit better with him every day.”
Those comments are intriguing, given Ten Hag eventually ended up coaching De Ligt again at United. While the Dutch coach didn’t exactly impress during his reign at Old Trafford, he did guide the Reds to the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
De Ligt became one of the most highly-admired young defenders in football history during his time at Ajax under his compatriot. He similarly earned praise during his short spell playing under Nagelsmann.
If Nagelsmann were to arrive at the club, he’d have some tough decisions to make. One of those would be in defence, as De Ligt started this season as one of his side’s top performers, but has been out with a back injury for what seems now like a millennium.
Across the first 13 games of the season, he was one of the only players in the league to have started every single league minute, but following a back injury against Crystal Palace, De Ligt has not been seen on the pitch since December.
United ‘Discuss’ Nagelsmann
As it stands, current head coach Michael Carrick and Nagelsmann are the front-runners for the full-time gig at Manchester United. The German could leave his role as Germany boss after the World Cup and then head back to club management with the Reds.
Ben Jacobs recently confirmed that there have been “internal discussions” about Nagelsmann but no interviews for any candidates have taken place. With United firmly rooted in third, it truly seems to be Carrick’s to lose.
Arguably the biggest fixture of United’s Champions League race arrives on Saturday, 18 April, when they face off against Chelsea, who sit just seven points behind the Red Devils.
A win there would put them 10 points ahead of the Blues, and on track to qualify for the first Champions League since 2023. Lose, however, and that gap shrinks to just four points, piling the pressure on.
