Manchester United reportedly rejected the opportunity to sign a highly-rated wonderkid after a club scout suggested that the player was in danger becoming overweight in the years to come.
Read: International Coaches Preceded By Pitso
Ajax Amsterdam captain and reigning Golden Boy Matthijs de Ligt is believed to have attracted interest from a number of top clubs in Europe over the past year, including the likes of FC Barcelona, Juventus and Manchester United.
The Daily Star previously claimed that the Old Trafford outfit had earmarked the 19-year-old as a transfer target and were keen to offer him a five-year deal worth £250 000 (R4.6 million) a week, which would make De Ligt the highest-paid teenager in world football.
Starsport then reported that the Netherlands international has, in fact rejected the 20-time Premier League winners' reported interest in him.
The latest from the Daily Mirror is that United passed up on the opportunity to sign De Ligt haead of the 2018/19 campaign that just ended based on the advice of scout Marcel Bout.
It is believed that Bout warned United against snapping up the Dutchman because he felt De Ligt would lose his pace and power due to weight gain in the coming years.
Bout, who was roped into Old Trafford by former Red Devils boss Louis van Gaal in 2012, reportedly conducted extensive research on the Ajax academy graduate, but ultimately decided against signing the star as he feared the defender would become overweight like his father, Frank.
De Ligt has amassed 54 appearances across all competitions this season, finding the back of the net on seven occasions.
Read: What Liverpool Must Do To Dethrone City Next Season
Do you think United will rue their decision to not sign De Ligt? Which other player(s) should the club look to target? Have your say in the comments section below.
