Breaking News: Man Utd finally land £58m duo and Olympics star – Erik ten Hag’s dream defence next season

Erik ten Hag is looking to make two or three more signings this summer (Image: Manchester United via Getty Images)

Even though their preseason campaigns haven’t been the finest, Manchester United might still have a successful summer if they make a few wise additions and allow one or two of their savvy departures.

The summer hasn’t been easy for Manchester United.

They have lost to Rosenborg, Liverpool, and Arsenal, and their injury problems from the previous campaign don’t seem to have abated. With a hamstring injury, Rasmus Hojlund will be out for about six weeks, and Leny Yoro, who signed for £52 million last month from Lille, won’t be available until late October due to a metatarsal ailment.

The news of Yoro’s injury is devastating, especially given the Frenchman was their summertime acquisition. Apart from that, Erik ten Hag’s defence is currently severely lacking, particularly in light of Raphael Varane’s departure.

As a result, Mirror Football has made the decision to imagine how the Red Devils would like to close off the summer transfer window. There are one or two reunions planned, so beware of spoilers.

Protecting De Ligt
Ever since Ten Hag assumed leadership in 2022, United has had Matthijs de Ligt on their desire list. The 24-year-old Dutch defender is available for grabs following a respectable, if rather underwhelming, two-year stint with Bayern Munich. While United is hoping to negotiate a lesser price, it appears that the German heavyweights are apparently asking for roughly £42 million for De Ligt.

He would be reunited with Ten Hag, his former Ajax boss, for the first time in five years if he could secure De Ligt. Before moving to Juventus for £70 million, the defender led Ten Hag to the 2018–19 Eredivisie title and was dubbed the European Golden Boy. He also led the team to the Champions League semifinals.

United would have two trustworthy, experienced centre backs on hand with De Ligt joining Lisandro Martinez, negating the need to throw Yoro—who is still only 18—right into the mix.

Erik ten Hag and Matthijs de Ligt worked with one another at Ajax ( Image: Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Getting Mazraoui Noussair signed Another player on United’s summer wish list is Mazraoui, and it’s rumoured that they’ve already had a bid for the Bayern star turned down. Late last month, the Red Devils submitted a joint proposal for both Mazraoui and De Ligt, but it was rejected.

The 26-year-old Mazraoui is apparently eager to join United at Old Trafford and has even turned down a trade to West Ham in the hopes of reaching an agreement in the upcoming days. Similar to De Ligt, the Moroccan full-back trained under Ten Hag at Ajax and is eager to work with him again. Last season, the Moroccan made just 19 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern.

Mazraoui is reportedly waiting for the go-ahead to relocate after reaching a personal terms agreement with United. However, a lot will depend on the Red Devils’ ability to make room in their roster for him. Speaking of which…

Getting rid of Wan-Bissaka

After failing in their attempt to sign Mazraoui, West Ham is currently in talks to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Under Ten Hag, the former Crystal Palace defender has been a bit player who has struggled to earn minutes behind Diogo Dalot in the hierarchy.

The Englishman may therefore be ready to go on, especially as United is considering other possibilities at right back. Moving to West Ham will probably be appealing, especially considering the transfers they’ve made this summer.

Crysencio Summerville, Max Killman, and Luis Guilherme have already signed with them, and now they want Wan-Bissaka to compete with Vladimir Coufal for the right-back spot. If a deal is reached, United plans to utilise the £18 million asking price for the 26-year-old to acquire De Ligt, Mazraoui, and….

affixing Gutierrez
Miguel Gutierrez, the highly-regarded left back for Girona, may be the last piece missing from United’s defensive jigsaw. The 23-year-old may sign a contract to join United right away after the competition, but he is presently away at the Olympics with Spain, getting ready for a semifinal matchup with Morocco.

The Red Devils don’t exactly lack left-backs, but Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw have both struggled with injuries in recent seasons, and there’s a sense that one of them might be traded to create place for a player with a stronger track record.

Since joining Girona from Real Madrid in 2022, Gutierrez has been an important member of the team, and his outstanding efforts from the previous campaign have not gone ignored. United has also previously kept an eye on him. In 2017, Jose Mourinho made an attempt to entice him to Old Trafford; nevertheless, the budding talent decided to stay at Real Madrid.