He was my number one defender and I never wanted him to leave. I was heartbroken when he left and this is why he left. I couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t have joined Manchester United if not for tiis”-Vincent Kompany ‘made shocking admission’ to Matthijs de Ligt in private meeting before Man Utd transfer as he revealed the main reason he left.

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany reportedly made a surprising admission to Matthijs de Ligt before the defender finalized his transfer to Manchester United.

Manchester United’s defense was one of their key weaknesses last season, prompting the club to strengthen Erik ten Hag’s options this summer. Last week, United secured the signing of Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich in a deal valued at an initial £38.5 million.

The Dutch center-back joined his Bayern teammate Noussair Mazraoui in making the move to Manchester, with United paying an initial £12.8 million fee for Mazraoui. United had initially targeted Everton center-back Jarrad Branthwaite as their top priority but seized the unexpected chance to bring in De Ligt instead.

De Ligt, who had previously played under Ten Hag at Ajax and became the club’s youngest-ever captain at the age of 18, was initially expected to remain at Bayern under new manager Vincent Kompany. However, rumors began circulating earlier this summer that Bayern’s leadership had doubts about De Ligt’s ability to play out from the back effectively.

Despite these doubts and the fact that a knee injury, combined with the form of January signing Eric Dier, limited De Ligt’s game time last season, Kompany was reportedly keen to retain the Dutch defender. De Ligt met with Kompany to discuss his future, feeling as though he was being edged out of the club.

According to *The Athletic*, De Ligt’s camp claims that Kompany assured the 25-year-old defender that he was not behind the decision to sell him and even called him his “No. 1 defender.” De Ligt’s representatives believe it was Bayern’s higher-ups who made the decision to facilitate his departure, rather than Kompany not wanting him to stay.

A Bayern spokesperson, however, denied the claims made by De Ligt’s camp when contacted by *The Athletic*. *SoccerWeb* has also reached out to Bayern Munich for further comment.

De Ligt made his Manchester United debut by coming off the bench in their Premier League opening day victory against Fulham last week.The transfer of Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich to Manchester United has been surrounded by interesting developments, particularly regarding the role of Bayern’s manager, Vincent Kompany, in the decision. Reports suggest that before de Ligt’s move, he had a conversation with Kompany in which the manager allegedly reassured him that he was still considered Bayern’s “No. 1 defender.” However, despite Kompany’s apparent desire to retain the Dutch center-back, the decision to sell de Ligt appears to have come from Bayern’s higher-ups rather than from Kompany himself.

De Ligt’s move to Manchester United, alongside his Bayern teammate Noussair Mazraoui, marks a significant strengthening of Erik ten Hag’s defense. United paid £38.5 million for de Ligt and an additional £12.8 million for Mazraoui. Initially, United had prioritized signing Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, but they pivoted to seize the opportunity to bring in de Ligt instead.

While Bayern officials deny the claims that Kompany was not behind the sale, this situation highlights the complex dynamics often at play within football clubs during transfer negotiations. De Ligt has since made his debut for Manchester United, contributing to their opening-day win against Fulham.