Matthijs de Ligt officially joins Ajax reunion

Matthijs de Ligt has endured an uncertain few months at Manchester United after a serious back problem brought his 2025/26 season to a premature halt.

The Dutch defender has not played since November 2025 and is still waiting to make his first appearance under Michael Carrick.

That absence has naturally raised questions about where De Ligt fits into United’s plans, particularly as the club continues to reshape the squad around Carrick.

There has finally been some encouragement.

De Ligt recently returned to part of group training after months of rehabilitation, giving United hope that he can soon become a genuine option again.

His career has already taken him through some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

De Ligt came through Ajax, became their youngest captain and emerged as one of the leaders of the side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

Moves to Juventus and Bayern Munich followed before he joined United in 2024.

However, injuries have prevented him from building sustained momentum at Old Trafford.

Now De Ligt has officially been involved in an Ajax reunion.

Matthijs de Ligt reunites with former Ajax teammates

Ajax shared an image on their official Instagram account showing De Ligt alongside Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek, writing that the trio had reunited and taken supporters “back to several years ago.”

The reunion was social rather than a transfer, with De Ligt still a Manchester United player.

The connection between the three runs deep.

De Ligt and De Jong developed together at Ajax before becoming key figures in the club’s celebrated 2018/19 team, while Van de Beek was another major part of that generation.

Van de Beek later followed a very different path to Old Trafford, joining Manchester United in 2020 before struggling for regular football and eventually leaving after loan spells elsewhere.

De Jong never joined United, but he was heavily pursued during Erik ten Hag’s first summer in charge and remained one of the club’s most high-profile midfield targets.

He instead stayed at Barcelona, having joined them after his Ajax breakthrough.

For United supporters, the image will carry extra intrigue given De Ligt’s current absence, but there is no suggestion that his Ajax reunion represents a move away from Old Trafford.