Matthijs de Ligt, Manchester United’s newly-acquired centre-back, said his long-playing partnership with Noussair Mazraoui will be a big boost to Manchester United’s backline, an area affected last season by injuries.

The two defenders from Bayern Munich signed contracts on Tuesday, making United their third team together, while they could both feature in the team’s season opener against Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday.

“What can I tell you about Nous? He’s an amazing guy, an amazing player,” De Ligt said in an interview with United’s in-house media.

“I’ve known him already for a long time. I think around 10 years now.

“There’s a reason we always come together, like before in Ajax, then at Bayern Munich and now at United,” the 25-year-old Dutch defender added.

“I think it is a special relationship and I’m really happy and glad that he’s also going to be here, and we can help each other a lot.”

Captain Bruno Fernandes, too, has signed a new contract that will keep him at United until June 2027, with the option to extend for a year.

De Ligt, who signed a deal until 2029, and Mazraoui, whose contract runs until 2028, have played over 100 games together at Bayern and Ajax.

They also know manager Erik ten Hag well, having both played for the United boss when he was the Ajax manager.

“He has played a big part in my development, to be fair. He was the first trainer who made me captain.

“I was 18 years old and he just gave me so much confidence,” De Ligt said of Ten Hag, who made him the youngest captain in Ajax’s history.

“He told me right from the start, ‘You are an example for the team, and I want you to be captain.’

“Just the confidence he gave me at that time, at that age, was special.”

Suspension

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma will miss the start of the season after being suspended by the club following an investigation into footage showing him appearing to inhale nitrous oxide.

Bissouma uploaded clips of himself using nitrous oxide, now a Class C drug, onto social media site Snapchat last weekend. The Mali international has apologised and acknowledged in a statement his “severe lack of judgement.”

Following an investigation, Bissouma was handed a one-match suspension, meaning he’s out of Tottenham’s opener at Leicester on Monday.