'In the gym too much' - Matthijs de Ligt branded 'clunky' after tough start at Man Utd that has already seen £43m defender dropped to bench

De Ligt joined United from Bayern Munich in a deal worth a reported £43 million ($55m) in August, just three days before their first Premier League game of the new season. After starting four league games in a row, the Dutchman was dropped to the bench for Sunday's 0-0 draw against Aston Villa and replaced the injured Harry Maguire at half-time.

It was initially billed a significant coup after United landed De Ligt from Bayern, with head coach Vincent Kompany reportedly reluctant to sell. The Netherlands international has faced criticism already, however, with Paul Scholes insisting he is not an upgrade on Maguire, while former Chelsea striker Chris Sutton has suggested the 25-year-old is working out too much.

"[He's] been in the gym too much," he told The Daily Mail. "I mean, most people need to get in the gym. [But] when he was at Ajax and making his way and he came to the fore, not only was he strong, but he was agile, he was mobile. He just looks clunky, doesn't he?"

With Maguire out for weeks, the former Ajax star will likely be back in the starting XI when the Red Devils come up against Brentford on October 19. United are currently 14th in the table with just eight points from seven matches, with De Ligt able to forget about that for now, at least, after joining up with the Netherlands for international duty.