When it comes to providing a verdict on Manchester United’s summer signings, Jaap Stam feels better placed than most.
A Champions League and Treble winner in 1999 and a former Dutch international to boot, the legendary centre-half not only knows exactly what is required to succeed at Old Trafford, he also knows three of the Red Devils’ new arrivals very well indeed.
Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are two players Stam watched closely as his former employers Ajax reached the Champions League semi-finals under Erik ten Hag five years ago.
He has kept a very keen eye on one-time Feyenoord whizzkid Joshua Zirkzee too, labelling the £35 million striker a ‘quality’ player with real ‘ability’ in conversation with The Athletic.
Manchester United this week doubled their tally of summer arrivals, from two to four.
De Ligt and Mazraoui have officially now joined from Bayern Munich for a combined fee of around £50 million. And both could make their Premier League debuts against Fulham on Friday.
Manchester United sign Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui
“De Ligt is a player that you would say, in potential and especially from his past at Ajax, he should be able to do that,” Stam told ESPN when asked if the former Ajax skipper can thrive under Ten Hag again.
“A great player. He is still a talent, but he plays very maturely. Calm on the ball, aggressive in duels and he sees the game. He has the drive that is needed to achieve something. That is one of the most important qualities.
“I think he would fit in very well here. He has to want to do it himself, but I think he is a player who definitely fits in here. He is the type of player that every manager wants to work with.”
Stam does have some concerns.
While De Ligt was certainly not the flop some have made him out to be – one Bundesliga expert believes he was the best player in Germany in the second half of 2022/23 – it is true that the 25-year-old is yet to live up to Ten Hag’s belief that he can become the finest centre-half on the planet.
“What happened there that made him not always play?” Stam adds, De Ligt in and out of the Bayern XI during his time at the Allianz Arena. “Does that have to do with himself or is it due to the choices of the coaches?
“De Ligt has to show it in the Premier League, an even more difficult competition than Germany and Italy.”
Mazraoui replaces Aaron Wan-Bissaka
As for Mazraoui, he might lack Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s fearsome tackling ability but the Moroccan does possess the two-footedness and technical quality to help take Ten Hag’s team to another level when in possession.
“He is incredibly good on the ball,” Stam adds, Mazraoui capable of treading the touchline and drifting infield to provide an extra midfielder in the build-up. “He can play on the inside and outside, we all know that.
“He is not the strongest physically, nor the fastest. (But) he can really be valuable on the ball and with his crosses, his runs from the inside. Then, you can benefit a lot from that.”
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