Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany reportedly made a shocking admission to Matthijs de Ligt before the defender completed his move to Manchester United.
Man United's defence was one of their major weaknesses last season, so club bosses have set about bolstering Erik ten Hag's options this summer.
Last week United completed the signing of Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich in a deal worth an initial £38.5 million.
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The Dutch defender joined teammate Noussair Mazraoui in swapping Munich for Manchester, with United paying an initial £12.8m fee.
United began the summer with Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite as their number one target, but they took advantage of an unexpected opportunity to bring in De Ligt.
The Dutchman, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax and became the club's youngest ever captain at 18, was expected to stay at the Allianz Arena under new manager Vincent Kompany.
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However, earlier this summer rumours started emerging that club bosses were unconvinced by his ability to play out from the back.
Despite that, and the fact that a knee injury and the form of January signing Eric Dier limited his game time last term, Kompany wanted to keep De Ligt.
De Ligt reportedly met with the coach to discuss his future, as the defender felt as though he was being pushed out of the club.
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According to The Athletic, De Ligt's camp insist that Kompany told the 25-year-old that he was not responsible for the decision to sell him and that he was his "No 1 defender."
De Ligt's representatives felt that club bosses made the decision to facilitate his departure, rather than Kompany not wanting him.
When contacted by The Athletic, a Bayern spokesperson denied the claim made by De Ligt's camp.
SPORTbible has contacted Bayern Munich for comment.
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De Ligt made his United debut off the bench during their Premier League opening day win against Fulham last week.
Topics: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Matthijs De Ligt, Vincent Kompany, Transfers, Premier League, Manchester United, Football
Alex Brotherton