De Ligt and Mazraoui Join Old Trafford as Ten Hag Expands Dutch Connections
Erik ten Hag has dismissed claims that he favors players with experience in Dutch football, following the signings of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich to Manchester United this week. The pair, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, completed their moves on Tuesday, reuniting with their former manager just ahead of the Premier League opener against Fulham.
Since Ten Hag’s appointment in 2022, 11 of his 20 signings have a Dutch connection. This includes notable names like Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, and Antony from Ajax, along with former loanee Sofyan Amrabat, who was managed by Ten Hag at Utrecht. Players such as Tyrell Malacia, Wout Weghorst, and Joshua Zirkzee hail from the Netherlands, and Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount have also played in the Dutch league.
When questioned about his apparent preference for Dutch-linked players, Ten Hag clarified, “No, no, not for favorite. First of all, it’s club decisions. None of them is only my decision. It’s always backed or even brought up through the scouting, recruitment, the technical director, the sporting director. It’s a decision made by more than only one but, yeah, some you know, the players and personalities, and also it has to fit also in the finance.”
De Ligt, a long-term target for United, joined the club for an initial fee of €45 million, potentially rising to €50 million. Ten Hag expressed his excitement about the defender’s arrival, stating, “He has fantastic potential. But Matthijs turned 25 this week and he has almost 375 games for Ajax, Juventus, and Bayern Munich under his belt. That is incredible. Now he is turning into his best years. He has great skills as a footballer but also as a real character, a real personality. I am very pleased to have him here.”
The timing of De Ligt’s transfer is crucial, as fellow centre-back Leny Yoro is currently injured. Mazraoui, who can play both right-back and left-back, provides additional options in defense with Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw also sidelined. Shaw is recovering from a calf injury and hasn’t featured for United since mid-February, though he did play in three Euro games. Ten Hag remains optimistic about Shaw’s recovery, saying, “First season when I was here he played many games so I am very confident we will get him back in this shape. He is only 29 years old. Already he played many, many games for Manchester United and if I talk with Luke he is so committed, he is so United. I have strong belief he will return quickly and he will contribute to our levels.”
United could see up to three new debutants in Friday’s Premier League opener against Fulham, with forward Joshua Zirkzee aiming for his first appearance since his €42.5 million transfer from Bologna. Ten Hag spoke highly of Zirkzee, stating, “I think we have two young strikers who have the potential to grow into top-class strikers with (Rasmus) Hojlund and Zirkzee. I think he is close (to starting) but that is one of the complications. We don’t have a pre-season with him, so we need games actually to bring him.”
Zirkzee has been recovering from an injury sustained at Bologna and recently joined the Netherlands national team, which has affected his preseason preparation. “So, no games and that is his problem in this moment. But now it’s his third week in training, you see him stepping up, his fitness levels are improving, and he needs more minutes and we can’t do it in a friendly. It has to go into the league,” added Ten Hag.
As United gear up for their opening match against Fulham, the team’s newest additions are set to play a pivotal role in the season ahead.
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