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Manchester United have completed a £51.8m double deal from Bayern Munich by bringing Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt to Old Trafford.
United have taken their tally to four summer signings with the €15m transfer of full-back Mazraoui, whose fee could rise by a further €5m in add-ons.
He has signed a four-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option of a further year, and the signings of Mazraoui and De Ligt mean United have now spent almost £250m on former Ajax players in manager Erik ten Hag’s reign.
However, Mazraoui’s arrival was funded by selling right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka to West Ham for £15m earlier on Tuesday.
And the Morocco international said: “It’s an incredible feeling to be a Manchester United player, and I cannot wait to walk out at Old Trafford wearing the red shirt. I know that I’m joining the club at an exciting time; everyone I’ve spoken to has the same ambition for us to win trophies together and I can feel the determination to achieve that.
“Erik ten Hag played an important part in my development as a player, so it is exciting to be reuniting with him as I enter the prime years of my career. I know what he expects from his players, and I will give everything to help the group be successful.”
While primarily a right-back at club level, Mazraoui played on the left as Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
And that versatility could prove useful to United with both senior left-backs, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, out injured at the start of the season.
Sporting director Dan Ashworth said: “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.
“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.”
While Ten Hag knows both new signings well, they were bought after consulting with Ashworth and new CEO Omar Berrada.
United, who have also purchased teenage centre-back Leny Yoro and 23-year-old forward Joshua Zirkzee in this transfer window, believe all four new recruits have their best years ahead of them. At 26, Mazraoui is the oldest of them.
He and De Ligt have been signed in time to make their debuts against Fulham on Friday.
Source: independent.co.uk
