It appears Manchester United have been warned about one of their newest signings, with claims the player's career is stuck.
In the recent transfer window, United acquired Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, and Matthijs de Ligt.
Dutch legend Rafael van der Vaart believes the latter has not been the same since leaving Ajax Amsterdam, with whom he burst onto the UEFA Champions League scene in 2019.
At least one of De Ligt's goals in Ons Oranje's 5-2 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina in the UEFA Nations League was deemed to be his fault during the recent international break.
Against Germany this week, he made another error, which led to a goal, and was eventually withdrawn from the match by Ronald Koeman at half-time.
According to Van der Vaart, the 25-year-old is no longer the bright player he was during his days at Ajax, saying it has been "a long time since he played well".
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Despite his qualities, Van der Vaart says he has never been the same since he left Ajax.
During yesterday's Netherlands vs Germany game, he made mistakes again, and when you're not in a good flow, every mistake leads to a goal.
He was also a bit unlucky, so I think he can get his confidence back with [United manager Erik] ten Hag, because at the end of the day, it is all about confidence. He is still a young player, playing for a big club.
"He showed he can recover. He made a big mistake in his first few games for Ajax and in his first game for the national team but recovered. Normally, it's not a problem. But now he's not playing well for a long time. But quality-wise he's still a great defender."
After joining United for a fee of €45 million (R888 million), the centre-back signed a contract until June 2029.
