Erik ten Hag has just welcomed former Ajax players Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to Manchester United ahead of their new campaign.
The Red Devils were keen to improve their squad this summer after a poor 2023/24 Premier League season.
As a result, Erik ten Hag has made multiple additions to his team throughout the transfer window.
This summer, it was reported that Man United wanted to sign former Ajax players de Ligt and Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.
The duo progressed through the Dutch club’s academy when ten Hag was manager of the club.
On Tuesday, the signing of de Light and Mazraoui was confirmed by Man United ready for their opening day clash against Fulham on Friday night.
With more of ten Hag’s former players now reuniting with him at Old Trafford, United in Focus examines every former Ajax player the manager has signed for the club.
Read more: The key details on Matthijs de Ligt’s and Noussair Mazraoui’s move to Manchester United.
Lisandro Martinez
One of ten Hag’s first signings. Lisandro Martinez followed his former manager to Old Trafford in July 2022.
The centre-back was highly successful at Ajax and had just won his second Eredivisie before making the move to Man United.
A deal worth up to £57 million was agreed between the two clubs, with Martinez signing a five-year contract.
Since then, the Argentine has struggled to remain fit and has only mustered 60 appearances in all competitions at Man United.
However, after another injury at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Martinez managed to return and start in the FA Cup final, where the Red Devils triumphed over Man City.
Antony
The Brazilian followed Martinez and ten Hag to Man United in the summer of 2022.
Antony had made a name for himself at Ajax after signing for the Dutch giants in February 2020.
In ten Hag’s final season at Ajax, he netted 12 goals in all competitions on their way to another Eredivisie title.
This resulted in Man United signing the Brazilian for £81.3 million in August 2022, reuniting the manager with his winger. However, his move to Old Trafford has not been a successful one.
Antony has struggled for form in England and has only found the back of the net 11 times, with only three coming in the last campaign.
Andre Onana
After David de Gea’s sudden departure from Man United at the end of his contract in July 2023, ten Hag was after a goalkeeper.
However, the manager quickly brought in Cameroonian international Andre Onana to replace the Red Devils’ former number one.
The goalkeeper was at Ajax between 2016-22 where he won multiple titles and he reached the Champions League semi-finals at the club in 2019.
From here, he had a highly successful spell at Inter Milan and helped the Italian side reach the Champions League final before signing for Man United for £47.2 million in July 2023.
In his first year at Old Trafford, Onana struggled to adapt, making multiple mistakes at the start of his Man United career.
However, he managed to end his first season with a trophy as they lifted the FA Cup after beating Man City.
Matthijs de Ligt
One of the two latest Man United signings, de Ligt was a star under ten Hag at Ajax.
The defender burst onto the scene at the Dutch giants and became their youngest-ever captain in March 2018.
After a sensational 2018/19 campaign, where he led Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals and won the European Golden Boy award, he left for Juventus in July 2019.
The centre-back spent three years at the Italian side and won a domestic double before departing for Bayern Munich where he won even more trophies.
Now, after signing for Man United for £38.5 million, de Ligt faces the challenge of the Premier League.
Noussair Mazraoui
The final former Ajax player ten Hag has signed for Man United is Mazraoui. The full-back came through the Dutch side’s academy and made his professional debut under the Man United manager in 2018.
Under the guidance of ten Hag, Mazraoui won six trophies at Ajax which earned him a move to Bayern Munich in May 2022.
While his first season saw a domestic double come his way, this was followed by a trophyless season at the German giants.
Mazraoui will now join his former Ajax teammates at Man United after joining the club for £12.8 million alongside de Ligt.
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