"That's why Manchester United bought them" – Lisandro Martinez offers opinion on double transfer raid of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui
Manchester United star Lisandro Martinez has claimed he is excited to play alongside new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Earlier this Tuesday, the Red Devils signed both De Ligt and Mazraoui from Bayern Munich. They signed the former in a potential £43 million deal, while they roped in the latter in a transfer worth up to £17 million.
Following the defensive pair's arrivals, Martinez was asked to opine on Manchester United's summer business. He replied to BBC (h/t Metro):
"So excited about Matthijs, about Nouss. We are here to help them and they are really good players. That's why Manchester United bought them. They will show that quickly because they have really good qualities and they like to play football and they are special for our system. I think Matthijs will give us a strong personality, playing from the back, defending high. I can't wait to play with him."
De Ligt, who will don the number four kit at Manchester United, is likely to partner ex-Ajax star Martinez at the heart of his new club's defence.
Mazraoui, on the other hand, is set to wear the number three jersey at the Red Devils. He will offer competition to Diogo Dalot at right-back.
Liverpool great expresses doubts over new Manchester United signing Matthijs de Ligt
During a chat with talkSPORT, Liverpool legend Graeme Souness was asked if Matthijs de Ligt would prove to be a good signing for the Red Devils. The 71-year-old responded (h/t Metro):
"I'm doubtful about De Ligt, I'm sorry. He didn't get into the [Dutch] national team at the [UEFA Euro 2024], he was only a squad player. When you look at his profile, he's been at two enormous football clubs. Those kind of clubs don't usually like to sell players, they hold onto their best players. That in itself tells a story."
Sharing further thoughts on the ex-Juventus man, Souness continued:
"He was a star as a boy but has he progressed since then? I'm not sure if he's what Manchester United need at this time. They definitely need a centre-half because Jonny Evans played a lot of games, he's 36. But is De Ligt the one? When I look at him, I see a lightweight centre-half. Was there a queue of other teams wanting to buy him? I don't think there was."
Prior to joining the Old Trafford outfit, De Ligt netted five goals and laid out two assists in 73 matches across competitions for Bayern Munich.
De Ligt, who left his boyhood club Ajax in 2019, registered eight goals and three assists in 117 games for Juventus before departing in 2022.