Manchester United to sign another ex-Erik ten Hag player: report

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 26: Manager Erik ten Hag of Manchester United arrives ahead of a first team training session as part of their pre-season tour of the USA at UCLA on July 26, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign another of Erik ten Hag's former players, as the Dutchman continues to add familiar faces to his squad.

In the current Manchester United side, three have previously played under Ten Hag at Ajax: Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez and Antony. Mathijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong have both been heavily linked with joining Ten Hag at Old Trafford in recent seasons, too, as the Red Devils boss looks to find the winning formula for his team.

That trend is set to continue this summer, as Manchester United have agreed a deal with one more of the Dutchman's former charges. 

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According to the Guardian, Manchester United have agreed a fee believed to be between £15m and £20m with Bayern Munich for full-back Noussair Mazraoui, who previously played under Ten Hag at Ajax.

Mazraoui made his first team debut at Ajax under the Dutchman in early 2018, before going on to be named the Ajax Talent of the Year in 2018/19 after playing 48 matches while still in his early 20s. 

The Morocco international left Ajax at the same time as Ten Hag, in the summer of 2022, departing for Bayern Munich as the manager joined Manchester United. The pair could be set to be reunited at Old Trafford this summer, though the deal relies on the future of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui, April 2024 Manchester United target

United have agreed a deal with Bayern for Mazraoui (Image credit: Alamy)

The report suggests that for Mazraoui to arrive, Wan-Bissaka would have to leave to free up space in both the squad and wage budget. The Englishman currently has just one year remaining on his current deal, with Manchester United seeking a £15m for the right-back they signed five years ago for £45m. 

Previous reports have argued that Ten Hag believes the signing of Mazraoui could help Antony's form improve, though the Brazilian is currently the subject of interest from Galatasaray. The pair flourished in Amsterdam together, winning successive Eredivisie titles while playing on the right-hand side. 

In FourFourTwo's view, this is a transfer that certainly makes sense, as Ten Hag clearly enjoys working with players moulded by Ajax. The fee is relatively insignificant for a club like Manchester United, too, especially if they can recoup the majority of that through selling Wan-Bissaka - which might prove a touch more difficult. 

TRONDHEIM, NORWAY - JULY 15: Aaron Wan-Bissaka of Manchester United in action during the pre-season friendly match between Rosenborg and Manchester United at Lerkendal Stadium on July 15, 2024 in Trondheim, Norway. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

The potential deal relies on Wan-Bissaka (Image credit: Getty Images)

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Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.