Manchester United is projected to finalise the acquisition of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, both defenders hailing from Bayern Munich. The combined transfer fee is expected to surpass £50m. Concurrently, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is anticipated to transfer to West Ham.
Both De Ligt and Mazraoui were previously directed by Erik ten Hag at Ajax, and are now rejoining him at Manchester United. Their transition to the club was settled over the recent weekend and they were both noticed en route to United’s Carrington training ground on Monday.
Before signing five-year deals with United, they are set to undergo medical check-ups. With a target to have them both ready for the initial match of the season against Fulham on Friday night, these signings come in the wake of a foot injury that sidelined newcomer Leny Yoro for a three-month period. For this target to be realised, they must both be registered by Thursday noon.
De Ligt’s initial fee – he had a fallout at Bayern under Thomas Tuchel’s management last season after moving from Juventus in 2022 for £60m – is presumed to be €45m (£38.6m) with additional €5m in add-ons. Simultaneously, United plan to pay an upfront £13m for Mazraoui, a deal that may eventuate into a £17m acquisition.
The versatile Moroccan international, who can play at both full-back positions, will enable Aaron Wan-Bissaka to finalise his transition to West Ham for an estimated £15m. Wan-Bissaka joined United from Crystal Palace back in 2019 on a fee of £45m, but his contract had only one year remaining following an extension triggered by United earlier this year.
Despite their unsuccessful efforts to secure the services of Jarrad Branthwaite due to Everton’s £70m evaluation, United shifted their focus to De Ligt. Both the Dutch defender and Mazraoui played under Ten Hag in Ajax, where they clinched the Eredivisie title and reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
With the conclusion of De Ligt and Mazraoui’s signings, United’s expenditure will exceed £230m on five players who were formerly managed by Erik ten Hag, given the previous procurement of Antony, Lisandro Martínez, and André Onana.