Lisandro Martinez was the first to “break the ice” in July 2022, joining his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Man United only three months after the Dutchman moved into his new office at Old Trafford. A month and a half later, the Ajax crew got another member – Antony, who arrived on the penultimate day of the transfer period. Finally, in July 2023, Andre Onana became the fourth to replace Johan Cruyff Arena with The Theatre of Dreams.New era. New home 🏘️🔴🤳 @Snapdragon #MUFC || #ShotOnSnapdragon pic.twitter.com/rznUkJYtcl— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 13, 2024 However, a year later, ten Hag still continues to bring his former students from Ajax, raising their number to five after Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui officially became the Red Devils! Only this time, the duo does not arrive from Amsterdam, but from Munich instead.This reunion, so to say, perfectly marks the five-year anniversary of the famous Champions League semi-final Ajax played against Tottenham, and – for the Dutch – infamous Lucas Moura’s goal which destroyed their dreams of reaching the grand final. The two latest newcomers and Onana were in the starting lineup on that day, May 8, 2019. Only nine days later, Martinez arrived from Argentina, while Antony joined in a year later.Ajax after Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui signed for Manchester United 🤝Ten Hag is now reunited with five of his former Ajax players ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZtfwGa3Wp9— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 13, 2024 Man United splashed out 70 million euros for Bayern’s duo. De Ligt signed a contract until 2029, while Mazraoui’s deal with the Red Devils would expire a year earlier. From this perspective, it seems as if they just waited to get rid of Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Old Trafford, to provide an extravagant present to their fans.Man United’s costly flop leaves for three times less money: Wan-Bissaka to West HamLooking separately, De Ligt cost United 43 million euros (including 5 million worth of add-ons) and Mazraoui 27 million. This way, the Premier League side became one of the biggest spenders in the current transfer window with 177 million euros spent on fees. Before the two defenders, Leny Yoro arrived from Lille for 62 million, while Bologna’s Joshua Zirkzee was paid 40 million.##NAJAVA_MECA_8269423##By bringing in the Dutchman and the Moroccan, Man United completed the defensive line. Still, one more reinforcement is expected, and the Red Devils’ first pick is Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte. However, whether the Saints will have to sell the Uruguayan will mainly depend on the situation around Victor Osimhen. Ugarte’s alternative would allegedly be Burnley’s Norwegian Sander Berge.
