Manchester United have completed some more important business in this year’s summer transfer window after confirming the double signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraouias well as the departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The defensive duo both played under Erik ten Hag during his time in charge of the impressive young team from 2019 and were heavily linked with an estimated £60 million joint-move from German giants Bayern Munich to Man United last week.
With injuries to fellow new signing Leny Yoro, who is now set to be out for up to three months, the club had little choice but to re-bolster their backline with another centre-back and full-back, especially given the extensive list of players that ended up on the physio table last season.
As a result, it looks as though new sporting director Dan Ashworth and co have moved quickly ahead of the 2024/25 campaign getting underway this Friday, 13 August and pulled the trigger on both defenders, with de Ligt and Mazraoui unveiled as new United players virtually in tandem on Tuesday night.
Then their youngest-ever captain, de Ligt was one of the most admired players in the aforementioned Ajax squad that ten Hag led to the Champions League semi-finals. He was one of several rising stars snapped up as the promising side was raided by big teams around Europe over the months following.
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After lifting the latest in a long line of Dutch titles that year, he then joined Juventus for around £65m, where he also won the league and a Coppa Italia, before joining Bayern in 2022 and winning a domestic double there too.
However, despite winning everywhere he’s been so far, the 25-year-old struggled to find his best form in Serie A and dropped out of the line starting XI as Munich conceded the Bundesliga trophy to Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 campaign.
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While club legend Paul Scholes has expressed concerns over de Ligt’s recent lack of playing time and the fact that former Spurs star Eric Dier’s introduction into the back four has rendered him a “second-rate” defender, the hope is clearly that he will once again shine under his previous coach.
As for Mazraoui, the 26-year-old Morrocan right-back is effectively set to replace Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has been in and out of the United squad with injuries and simply falling second fiddle to the more attacking wing-back talents of Diogo Dalot.
Having now officially unveiled both new signings, they pair mark a total of 11 transfers that ten Hag has made involving a player either from the Netherlands or who has represented a team in the Eredivisie since arriving at Old Trafford.
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Wan-Bissaka officially joined West Ham on Tuesday, 13 August in a deal reportedly worth around £15m, a full £30m less than what they paid for him back in 2019.
He made nearly 200 appearances for the Red Devils.
Having already brought in two players in Yoro and another Dutch connection with Joshua Zirkzee, de Ligt and Mazraoui are the third and fourth signings of the summer, as well as the new INEOS era.
Speaking on the move, de Ligt said: “Erik ten Hag shaped the early stages of my career, so he knows how to get the best out of me and I cannot wait to work with him again. I know what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and I’m determined to continue that record at this special club.”
Adding similar in his own welcome statement, Ashworth described Mazraoui as “a dynamic, attacking full-back who can play on both the right and left side of defence”, adding, “His experience and versatility will make him an excellent addition to our squad.
Elsewhere over in the blue half of the city, Premier League champions and freshly-crowned Community Shield holders Manchester City have bid goodbye to striker Julián Álvarez after they reached a club-record deal with Atlético Madrid.
Manchester City’s Stadium Tours are back for the summer and bigger than ever
Danny Jones
Manchester City stadium tours are back for summer 2026, with more to see from the home of the Blues than ever, and with 15% off all tickets until the end of August, too.
It’s safe to say that Man City are going through a HUGE period of change right now: embarking on a new era under Enzo Maresca following the dynasty of Pep Guardiola, vast redevelopments of the wider Etihad Campus, a new club hotel, and the expansion of the North Stand – now named after said Catalan coach.
With that in mind, there’s so much new stuff going on over in East Manchester and arguably more of it all happening in one place than we can recall in recent memory, making it the perfect time for Cityzens to return to the famous home ground – indeed, your Etihad debut if you haven’t made one already.
Giving you greater access to areas usually reserved for players and staff only than ever, this exclusive, interactive and virtual tour will take you through the very bones of the storied sporting arena, all the way through to pitchside.
Fans can explore the dressing room and follow in the footsteps of their favourite City players as they walk through the iconic glass players’ tunnel, before walking out into the open air and sitting in the dugout to take in that incredible view.
You can also try out the latest ‘Beyond the Blue Moon’ experience – an immersive VR adventure that sees supporters journey through Manchester City’s past, present, and future.
Following on from Pep lending his likeness, using innovative technology, you can now even have the chance to put your questions to Erling Haaland in the Press Conference Room.
There aren’t many teams on the planet that offer this level of stadium tour, let alone just here in the UK, so it’s no wonder they remain award-winning almost every single year.
Whether you’re a lifelong City fan, a football lover or visiting this wonderful place we call Manchester for the very first time, there’s something for everyone.
For instance, with The Medlock Hotel and accompanying Medlock Square already lining up its maiden events, the City Football Group (CFG) are once again committing to make the wider Etihad Campus an all-year-round entertainment destination.
That being said, plenty of people online have been generating a lot of buzz about the aforementioned Medlock’s new stadium-view rooms since clips appeared on social media.
Pitch view rooms coming to the Radisson Blu Medlock Hotel at #ManCity’s Etihad Stadium. 🤯
As for the tickets themselves, the club have also taken steps to keep the cost affordable.
Standard prices start from just £32 for adults and only £20 for under-16s, with larger family packages available from £60.
BUT, with the 15% discount mentioned earlier, adults currently cost just £27; kids go for just £17, and those family passes start from just £51.
You can find all the options when it comes to stadium tour passes and grab the type of admission that suits you right HERE.
Speaking of tickets, City have also been met with praise for the introduction of new discounted seats for local residents; find out all the details below.
René Meulensteen names the ‘ideal’ signing that Man United appear to be overlooking
Danny Jones
Ex-Manchester United coach René Meulensteen has named the one key signing that he feels the Red Devils are missing out on by not pursuing this summer.
The former Man United assistant, who served under Sir Alex and has recently returned to the backrooms of the English football pyramid, has given his verdict on what he thinks his old club still needs in terms of reinforcements.
Chatting with TipmanTips, the 62-year-old identified the backline as a persisting problem area for now full-time manager Michael Carrick, insisting that they could do with another central defender.
The footballer in question is his fellow countryman, Micky van de Ven – fresh from a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur – who has surprised many by not securing his next big-money move so far in the transfer window.
We are delighted to announce that Micky van de Ven has signed a new contract with the Club!
Speaking in an exclusive interview, he said his Dutch compatriot wouldn’t just be a great rotation player but a starter coming into the 2026/26 season.
“I still think they’re vulnerable at the back”, says Meulensteen, “and that’s one thing Michael is going to have to sort out as soon as possible when the season starts. Finding a centre-back partnership that works and getting some consistency in the back line will be key.
“Harry Maguire is coming off a good end to last season, but he needs some complementary centre-backs next to him, and then also on the right-hand side next to him with Mazraoui and Dalot not really doing anything.”
“I would have been looking at Micky van de Ven from Spurs before he signed a new deal. He’s powerful, he’s quick, he’s got great experience in playing as a left centre back in the Premier League, and he would have given United a very different dynamic in their defence.
He rounded off the recommendation, however late, by arguing that were Maguire to be a mainstay first-choice centre-half for Carrick this season, “van de Ven would’ve meant you wouldn’t have to worry about his lack of pace in behind, as he can cover so much ground recovering.”
As for who they have brought in so far, they’ve managed a well-balanced, albeit limited number of young and experienced talents, including the surprise return of greatest-ever goalscorers (currently 13th on the all-time list at still just 28) in Marcus Rashford.
While he did go on to cite the likes of Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke as a viable alternative, it’s fair to say he would be high up on the shortlist of many fans – and not just United.
On the other hand, we’d once again reiterate that we include ourselves among those stunned that he hasn’t had more suitors floating around of late, especially given he was one of the few bright lights among a side that nearly got relegated last term.
Would you have him as another CB option, Reds?
As for the one-time United assistant, he has recently been introduced to Stockport County FC supporters as the latest addition to the technical staff in an admittedly curious new position…
Danny Jones -
13th August 2024 
