Matthijs de Ligt is proving Erik ten Hag right with his Manchester United performances after INEOS reportedly wanted to pursue alternative transfer targets last summer. The Dutch centre-back has continued his status as a defensive mainstay under Ruben Amorim after he replaced Ten Hag in November.
De Ligt's performances in recent weeks, in particular, have shone brightly despite United suffering inconsistent results with very few wins. He was most recently rock solid at the heart of Amorim's back three in Thursday's 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena. In between Leny Yoro and Noussair Mazraoui, De Ligt helped limit the hosts' chances by winning six of his seven duels.
INEOS' first summer in charge of recruitment at Old Trafford can't be considered an overwhelming success, but there are more positives than negatives.
De Ligt arrived with Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and Mazraoui, among which it'd be harsh to label any as a definitive flop.
All five players look capable of having a role beyond the current season, even though they joined before Amorim's reign commenced.
However, if INEOS got their own way, De Ligt likely wouldn't have arrived as part of the £60million double deal that also saw Mazraoui join from Bayern Munich.
According to ESPN, United weren't keen on the 25-year-old and had identified other centre-backs to target.
But Ten Hag wanted De Ligt, and the Red Devils reportedly felt inclined to back their manager after committing to a one-year contract extension to pause speculation surrounding his future.
The decision to continue that partnership, in hindsight, was a mistake that has set the club back at least one season after Amorim inherited a squad in disarray.
Yet, while Ten Hag and United won't fondly look back on the vast majority of the £600m-plus expenditure he oversaw at the club, De Ligt appears to have been a good signing.
INEOS are focusing on a more cost-efficient, youthful transfer strategy ahead of their second summer at the helm, but Amorim needs some experience.
De Ligt offers that in abundance after spells at Ajax, Juventus, and Bayern while he's still to reach his prime years and could improve further.
Amorim needs more pace in his defence to cover the wider centre-back positions, but he should feel comfortable with De Ligt as his first-choice central option next season.
Harry Maguire also looks set to stay for another season after United triggered a one-year contract extension until 2026, and he is suited to the same role.