Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are edging closer towards becoming Manchester United players after both were seen leaving Munich to England for medicals.
United have struck a double transfer agreement with Bayern Munich worth up to £60m that they hope will strengthen a defensive unit that was ravaged by injuries last season and has continued to affect preparations for the new 2024/25 campaign.
The deal also promises to allow Bayern to continue with their own recruitment, with Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah, after reaching a point where they needed to offload players before any further signings.
The duo have now touched down in England and are expected to complete the outstanding formalities of the transfer process. Mazraoui, in particular, has hinged on United being able to successfully offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with a late hurdle in talks over personal terms cleared on Sunday night.
Having released Raphael Varane at the end of last season, United have already spent big on 18-year-old centre-back prodigy Leny Yoro this summer. But disaster struck when he suffered a foot injury during only his second pre-season appearance and required surgery. Although one for the long-term as much as the present, the Frenchman could spend at least three months out of action.
The impending capture of De Ligt is not linked with Yoro’s injury. Interest in the former Ajax and Juventus centre-back predates the formal approach for Yoro, with United always tipped to recruit more than one new central defender this summer. Everton‘s Jarrad Branthwaite was another option.
Mazraoui will compete with Diogo Dalot for a place at right-back, although both players are versatile enough that they can, and have, operate on the left, where Luke Shaw missed large chunks of last season and Tyrell Malacia was absent for the entire campaign.
Neither left-back was part of the squad for the Community Shield over the weekend, with Erik ten Hag also opting against throwing 17-year-old Harry Amass in at the deep end against Manchester City at Wembley.
