Louis Saha raises Matthijs de Ligt concerns for Man United – and Rio Ferdinand agrees

Louis Saha has raised doubts about Manchester United's intent to sign defender Matthijs de Ligt, due to his inconsistent performances post-Ajax.

United are reportedly on the brink of landing de Ligt from Bayern Munich for a fee that could hit the £42million mark, as they look to shore up a defensive line missing the influence of Raphael Varane. Despite his pedigree, Saha is wary about the acquisition, sharing his uncertainties with CSDB: "Matthijs de Ligt is a confident player and a leader in his own right, but he has struggled to maintain his form in the years since leaving Ajax.

"Having said that, I think the Premier League is a good fit for him and it will provide him that extra motivation to get back to his very best. There is also the surprise element of having him come from abroad so strikers might not know how to play against him."

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Saha isn't alone in his skepticism either, with United legend Rio Ferdinand also expressing reservations about whether de Ligt can truly "make a difference" at Old Trafford. Weighing in on the discourse, Ferdinand questioned: "He's had a lot of injuries, hasn't started many games over the last two or three years and Man United are spending £45-50million on him.

"Is he going to come into Man United and make a difference? I think it's a big ask for him and all eyes are going to be on him. Big pressure, big opportunity for him, but there's a lot of uncertainty I think with this signing because of his previous seasons with two big clubs not going as well as we'd have