Manchester United Newcomer Has Worsened Since Leaving Juventus, Says Former Coach

Matthijs de Ligt spent four years at Juventus, and one former coach believes that since the Dutchman left Turin, the defender's career has been downhill.

De Ligt made a name for himself with Ajax, being a pillar for the team that reached the UEFA Champions League semifinal in 2019. After the 2018-19 season, the center-back moved to the Serie A giants.

The 25-year-old made 117 appearances across all competitions for Juventus, scoring eight goals and registering three assists. The defender would leave Juventus for greener pastures in the Bundesliga to join Bayern Munich, but this move was the start of a career free fall.

Ruud Krol: De Ligt has worsened

De Ligt joined Bayern Munich in 2022, and after three years with the Bavarian side, he wanted a change of scenery. This past summer transfer window, the central defender reunited with his former Ajax manager, Erik ten Hag, at Manchester United.

Ruud Krol, the former Napoli and Ajax player and coach, shared his thoughts on the radio show "1 Football Club" with host Luca Cerchione on 1 Station Radio. He mentioned that the defender's performance has declined since leaving Juventus.

"Juve signed De Ligt from the Netherlands, but since joining Bayern Munich and Manchester, he's really struggled compared to his time at Juve," Krol said (h/t TuttoJuve). "He should be improving. At Juve, under Allegri, he was excellent—his marking and positioning were spot-on, and he was one of the top players in Italy."

The former Juventus defender has played 492 minutes in nine appearances for the Red Devils this season across all competitions.

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