So there’s more than one star named De Ligt arriving in Manchester this summer. Not only is a Dutch international centre-back set to become a regular feature at Old Trafford, but his stunning new wife will be aiming to light up the venue as well.
Matthijs de Ligt, 25, has signed a four-year deal with United following his £38.5million move from Bayern Munich and will be accompanied by partner AnneKee.
The 24-year-old is a star in her own right, boasting an Instagram following of more than 434,000.
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Annekeen worked as a model and took centre stage in photo shoots with a host of global titles. She famously featured on the cover of the Dutch edition of Vogue magazine in September 2019, having come through at the Wilma agency.
Annekee’s fame and online persona has also seen her become an Internet influencer, with her profile having grown since she started dating her husband when he was still at Ajax in 2018. But by then, she was already well versed in Dutch football.
Her dad, Keje Molenaar, was a professional who also played for Ajax, and represented Feyenoord as well as winning two caps at international level. Her brother Jip Molenaar spent his youth career at Eintracht Frankfurt and is currently at Dutch amateur club DVVA.
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And AneeKee’s football connections don’t end there. In fact, she enjoys a special friendship that will prompt intrigue from Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag as well as club fans.
Mrs De Ligt is close with Mikey Kiemeney, the girlfriend of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong. The 27-year-old was absent from Euro 2024 due to injury, otherwise the two friends would almost have certainly been in the stands together in Germany.
De Jong was a prime target for Ten Hag after he took over in 2022, but despite a summer long pursuit a move never materialised. Ultimately, the transfer reportedly fell through over the Dutchman’s refusal to waive payments he was owed by the Spanish club.
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But by next summer, speculation is likely to ramp up again given his contract expires in 2026. And United may now have the perfect person lined up to help persuade the midfielder, and his other half, to come to Manchester.
The De Ligts have certainly had a hectic summer, forced to abandon their wedding plans due to Bayern’s potential involvement in the Champions League final at Wembley. That notion never materialised, with pair instead tying the knot in a hastily arranged civil wedding - but the defender had to return to the Netherlands camp straight afterward to prepare for a Euro 2024 warm-up match with Iceland.
