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MANCHESTER, England: New Manchester United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt says his long-term partnership with Nusser Mazraoui will be a huge boost to Manchester United’s defence, which was badly hit by injuries last season.
The two defenders signed for Bayern Munich on Tuesday, becoming the third team United have partnered with, and both could feature in the team’s season opener against Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday.
“What can I tell you about Neumann? He’s a fantastic guy, a fantastic player,” De Ligt told the club’s internal media.
“I’ve known him for a long time, about 10 years. There’s a reason why we’ve always been together, like before at Ajax, then at Bayern Munich and now at Manchester United,” added the 25-year-old Dutch defender.
“I think it’s a special relationship and I’m glad he’s here too and I think we can help each other.”
De Ligt and Mazraoui have contracts until 2029 and 2028 respectively. The two have played more than 100 games together at Bayern and Ajax.
They also know Erik ten Hag well, having played for Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag when he was manager of Ajax.
“It’s fair to say he played a big role in my development. He was the first coach to make me captain when I was only 18 and he gave me a lot of confidence,” De Ligt said of ten Hag, who made him the youngest captain in Ajax’s history.
“He told me from the beginning: ‘You are the role model for the team and I want you to be the captain.’ The confidence he gave me at that time and at that age was really special.”
He said United had largely rebuilt their defence from last season, which was one of the reasons why De Ligt joined the team.
“I actually really like this project,” he said. “It’s a nice feeling to go somewhere and feel like you’re part of a new project, feel like you’re part of something new.”
“Hopefully, myself and the other players who have joined this summer can play a big part in the next chapter of Manchester United’s history and get the club back to the top.”
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