De Ligt signs a five-year contract in southern Germany. He was spotted there on Tuesday morning in a Bayern training shirt. The transfer involves an amount of around 80 million euros.
De Ligt chose Bayern as a new employer, partly on the advice of national coach Louis van Gaal. That’s what the defender said to picture. “At the beginning of the summer I already discussed my future with Van Gaal,” said De Ligt. “He only had good words for this club. He praised the philosophy of Bayern Munich and said to me: if you go to Bayern, you will love it there.”
Van Gaal was Bayern Munich manager from 2009 to 2011.
22-year-old De Ligt is looking forward to working with Julian Nagelsmann. “He is a coach who has proven that young players can develop further with him. I still see myself as a young player who wants to improve.
De Ligt left Ajax three years ago for 75 million euros Juve. At Bayern, the Orange-international meets at least two old acquaintances: Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch. Both players left Ajax at the end of the previous season for the German champion.
“I am very happy to become a player at this great club,” said De Ligt on the Bayern Munich website. “FC Bayern is the most successful club in Germany, one of the most successful in Europe and also in the world. From the beginning I felt genuine appreciation. That convinced me. In addition, FC Bayern is an excellently managed club with big goals.”
Bayern already wanted to bring De Ligt to Germany in 2019, says technical director Hasan Salihamidzic. “We were already convinced of his qualities as a defender then and we are even more so now. With his professionalism, his winning mentality and his great character, Matthijs is a perfect fit for us. As a young player he was already a leader at Ajax and at 22 he can still develop further.”