Manchester United’s first summer under Ineos control is threatening to reach A-grade status.
First Joshua Zirkzee – the Serie A Young Player of the Year and a potentially transformative addition in the final third – then the eye-catching coup that was Leny Yoro.
Now, in comes Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui on a combined £51 million deal from Bayern Munich. Two players who add serious depth to Manchester United’s backline, and represent substantial upgrades on those who came before them at Old Trafford.
Get a midfielder or two in the door – Manuel Ugarte’s agent was reportedly in England for talks on Tuesday – and we may be taking about an ‘A-plus’ summer.
Man United confirmed the signings of De Ligt and Mazraoui late last night.
The former arrives for an initial £38 million – Erik ten Hag reuniting with his former Ajax captain and a man he tipped to become the world’s finest centre-half – while Mazraoui has ‘bargain of the window’ written all over him at an up front fee of less than £13 million.
Manchester United sign Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui
You can usually tell how talented a player is by how fans of their former club react to their departure.
And the fury amongst Bayern fans towards De Ligt’s exit – a petition demanding he stay put reached over 70,000 signatures – spoke volumes.
The Bundesliga giants obviously felt they had no choice to sell in order to raise funds for new additions. Although, ironically enough, two of those leading targets in Jonathan Tah and Desire Doue are no longer on the table.
The former is staying at Bayer Leverkusen and the latter opts instead for Paris Saint-Germain.
Max Eberl, Bayern’s sporting director, has now penned his goodbyes to De Ligt and Mazraoui via the club’s official website.
“FC Bayern would like to thank Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui for the successful time they spent together,” Eberl says, the former Eredivisie duo winning the Bundesliga title under Julian Nagelsmann in 2023.
“Matthijs is a player who always gives his all and leaves his heart on the pitch. Fans will never forget his decisive tackle in the Champions League knockout match against Paris Saint-Germain. Nous has also always performed reliably here for two years.
“We wish them both all the best for their future at Manchester United in the Premier League.”
Debut on the cards against Fulham
Both players will be in contention to make their Red Devils debut against Fulham on Friday, alongside Zirkzee. De Ligt will wear the number four shirt vacated by Sofyan Amrabat, while Mazraoui will hope to follow in the footsteps of legendary former full-backs Patrice Evra and Denis Irwin.
Eberl’s opposite number – Dan Ashworth – spoke in glowing terms about the duo too, highlighting the attributes that both players will bring to Old Trafford.
“Matthijs is an outstanding defender and proven winner who will add quality, experience and leadership to our existing group of senior players,” Ashworth tells the United website.
“He has already enjoyed considerable success in his career, and we are convinced that his best years are still ahead; we want to help him achieve them at Manchester United.
“Noussair is a dynamic, attacking full-back who can play on both the right and left side of defence. His experience and versatility will make him an excellent addition to our squad,” the former Newcastle chief adds.
“Having already won a number of trophies in his career, we know that Noussair’s winning mentality will be a real asset to the group as we work together to deliver the success required of Manchester United.”
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