"He is the sort of player I thought" – Theo Walcott claims he wanted Arsenal to sign star player who is set to join Manchester United
Theo Walcott has revealed he once thought Manchester United target Matthijs de Ligt would have been a brilliant addition to Arsenal's ranks.
De Ligt, 25, is reportedly close to joining the Red Devils from Bayern Munich in a switch worth up to £43 million this summer. The defender completed his medical earlier this Monday, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Walcott shared his thoughts on the ex-Juventus centre-back's potential transfer to United. He said (h/t TBR):
"When it was talked about him coming to the Premier League, he is the sort of player I thought, 'Oh! Arsenal could do with someone like him', especially when they were going through the transition of centre-halves not being as strong. But yeah, I am looking forward to seeing what he is going to provide [at Manchester United]."
De Ligt, who left Juventus in a potential £68 millon move in 2022, has made 73 appearances across competitions for Bayern Munich so far. He has registered five goals and lifted two trophies for the Bavarians.
Should De Ligt complete his permanent transfer to Manchester United, he could emerge as a regular starter. He has previously worked under Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag, featuring in 70 total games at Ajax.
Manchester United legend backs Arsenal to end Premier League title drought next term
Speaking recently on beIN SPORTS, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes offered his Premier League predictions. He said (h/t Metro):
"I think the favorites are the same as last year. Manchester City will be favorites, closely followed by Arsenal. I do expect Arsenal to be the team to win it this year. I think they've progressed over the last couple of years under Mikel Arteta."
Scholes, who helped Manchester United lift 11 league titles, concluded:
"I just think this year is the time when they are ready to win it. It's not going to be easy, there's going to be a lot of competition because the top seven or eight teams in England are all good teams. But I just think they will be the team to break the Manchester City cycle this season."
Last season, Arsenal finished second behind Manchester City as they ended on 89 points and the Cityzens won 91 points from 38 matches.
The Gunners, who last won the league title in 2004, finished their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with 84 points – five points behind City.