Matthijs De Ligt says Man Utd rumour annoyed him

New Juventus signing Matthijs De Ligt has admitted he became annoyed by all the transfer speculation this summer.

Juve confirmed the £67.5million signing of De Ligt from Ajax earlier this month with the centre-back signing a five-year deal with the Italian champions.

The 19-year-old had though been linked with a mega-money moves to Barcelona Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain and most of the talk De Ligt says he could laugh at.

However, he has revealed the rumour which claimed that United turned down the chance to buy him over fears about his weight was a rumour too far.

United were considering a move a year ago but pulled out after receiving a warning from their own scout, according to the Daily Mirror.

Dutch scout Marcel Bout, who was one of Louis van Gaal’s men, had scouted De Ligt extensively and recommended him to the club while Jose Mourinho was at the helm.

United were desperate for a centre-back and De Ligt Mourinho’s “first choice” with Harry Maguire a back-up plan, but United never got close to signing De Ligt after United abandoned their interest over the player’s weight.

Bout told United that De Ligt’s father Frank was significantly overweight and predicted the Holland starlet could potentially go the same way as he got older, losing his pace.

The talk angered De Ligt.

“A lot has been said and written and it seemed that I made a decision overnight, but of course that wasn’t the case,” De Ligt told Voetbal International.

“It was very annoying that so much was speculated. I tried to shut myself off, although with all those social media that is never entirely possible.

“I have been laughing at such messages for a long time, but it also makes you tired at some point.

“There was something every day. Suddenly even my father was too fat, which is why a club [United] would not want me.

“Then you think ‘Come on man…’. At some point it gets annoying.”