Matthijs de Ligt believes his relationship with Noussair Mazraoui will benefit Manchester United's defence this season.

De Ligt and Mazraoui joined United in a double signing worth up to £60million from Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

The two defenders were also together at Ajax, where they played under Erik ten Hag before being reunited in Germany.

The manager confirmed on Thursday that both players would be in the squad for the Red Devils' Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday, and De Ligt is looking forward to developing their partnership further.

"What can I tell you about Nous? He is an amazing guy, an amazing player," De Ligt said in an interview with the club's media channels.

"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, now at Manchester United.

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

United struggled with injuries last season, particularly among their defenders, as they fielded 14 different centre-back pairings throughout the campaign.

The club confirmed on Tuesday that Luke Shaw will miss the start of the new season with a calf injury, which Ten Hag has described as "short-term".

Leny Yoro, who is set to be out for three months, also joined earlier in the transfer window, while Raphael Varane and Aaron Wan-Bissaka both went in the opposite direction.

And the current overhaul is part of what drew the 25-year-old to the club.

"I actually really like the project," he added. "It's always nice to go somewhere and to feel that you're part of a new project, to feel that you're part of something new.

"Hopefully, myself and the other players that are coming this summer can give a great piece to the next history of Manchester United and to get the club back to where it belongs: on top."

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are "not ready" for the start of the Premier League season ahead of their opener against Fulham on Friday.

The Red Devils had a mixed pre-season, winning just two of their five games and losing the other three, before narrowly missing out on penalties in the Community Shield after a 1-1 draw with Manchester City last weekend.

Ten Hag was also unable to work with his full squad during their tour of the United States due to players getting extended breaks following their involvement in the Euros and the Copa America.

Having recently brought Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to the club on Tuesday, the Dutchman admitted United have not had a lot of time to gel as a group before their first Premier League match.

"It's true [new players need time], it's not the pre-season where in five to six weeks you work on a team, it's very complicated," he said in his press conference.

"The USA tour squad, and then we added the players at Euros and Copa America and now new signings, and we have to make a team from it.

"That team is not ready, but the league starts, and more managers have this problem.

"Still, we have some room, have some principles, and we have to make a start. We can't hide, we have to deal with it.

"We are not at 100% form, but we have to go from game to game to improve and to get higher performance levels in the team and in individual players. We will see how quick we can go with this process."

In two seasons in charge, Ten Hag ended the club's six-year trophy drought by beating Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final in 2023 before clinching the FA Cup against rivals City in May.

Despite failing to hold onto their lead to claim the Community Shield last Saturday, Ten Hag is eyeing more silverware with the club this season.

"Not so different but "We know our targets; we know our direction.

"[Our expectations are] always very high, we want to go for trophies." 

Bruno Fernandes has signed a new Manchester United contract and believes his "best moments" for the Premier League giants are "still to come".

Fernandes joined United from Sporting CP in January 2020 for an initial fee of around £47million (€55m) and was an instant hit at Old Trafford.

The Portugal international scored 12 goals from midfield in that first COVID-hit campaign under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before netting 28 across all competitions in his first full season in England.

Fernandes has gone on to tally 79 goals in 234 games for United, contributing 67 assists while creating more chances in the Premier League than any other player since his signing in 2020.

Having helped United to win the EFL Cup and return to the Champions League in 2022-23, Fernandes was named captain by Erik ten Hag at the start of last season.

It proved a difficult campaign for the Red Devils but ended with Fernandes in inspired form as his side beat rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final, securing silverware and European football once again.

Now, on the eve of a new Premier League season, Fernandes has committed his future to United, agreeing a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2027 with the option of a further year.

It has been reported the new terms will bring his salary in line with United's top earners.

Fernandes' performances have more than justified that status, yet he is confident United fans will see even more from both he and the team in the coming years.

"Everybody knows the passion I have for Manchester United," Fernandes told the club's media channels.

"I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing this shirt and the levels of dedication and desire required to represent this incredible club.

"I have had so many special moments here already; hearing my name sung from the Stretford End, scoring a hat-trick against Leeds, leading the team out at Old Trafford on European nights and lifting trophies at Wembley.

"But I wouldn't have signed this contract if I didn't believe that my best moments in a United shirt are still to come.

"From my discussions with the football leadership and manager, it is clear how determined everyone is to fight for major trophies in the years ahead.

"I can see how positive the future is going to be, and I am relishing leading this team forward."

Erik ten Hag wants his Manchester United squad to use their Community Shield loss to Manchester City as motivation against Fulham in Friday's Premier League opener. 

Ten Hag's team almost started the season with another trophy, but fell to defeat in a penalty shootout at Wembley after Alejandro Garnacho's strike had given them the lead.

Bernardo Silva levelled late on for Pep Guardiola's City side, with Manuel Akanji scoring the decisive spot-kick after Jonny Evans' miss from 12 yards. 

“We are disappointed," Ten Hag said. "We have to feel the pain and everyone feels the pain. That's a good signal, but I also see some positives.

“We performed well, we could've won that game, we were twice leading in the game and in the penalties, but we lost, and we're disappointed. But we take the positives.”

The Red Devils have since bolstered their defensive ranks, with Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui joining from Bayern Munich, but they will be without the injured Luke Shaw. 

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the full-back will miss the start of the season after sustaining a calf injury in pre-season training. 

For Fulham, they will be hopeful of maintaining their impressive opening day form, having lost their first Premier League match in just two of their last nine seasons (four wins, three draws). 

Marco Silva's tenure has featured a promotion and two comfortable campaigns in the top flight, and they have regenerated their squad in the transfer window after losing star midfielder Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich.

Emile Smith Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon's arrivals have improved their forward line, and they will be confident of starting the season strongly at Old Trafford. 

The Cottagers prevailed on their last visit to M16, winning 2-1 back in February, but captain Tom Cairney acknowledged a stern challenge awaits them.

“For the quality of their squad, you could argue they’ve been a little bit hit and miss,” Cairney said. “It was amazing for them to win the trophy at the end of last season.

“If they’re on, if they’re firing on all cylinders, it’s a tough night for us.

"They’ve got quality throughout the squad, Champions League winners, but Marco will definitely gear us up to go there and try and win."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Bruno Fernandes

In the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, United will look towards the attacking talents of captain Bruno Fernandes to provide that creative spark in the final third. 

Fernandes finished as the Red Devils' joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season with 10 goals in 35 appearances, while also creating more chances in the division than any other player (114). 

The United captain has scored four times against Fulham in his seven games against them in all competitions, only scoring more against Everton (five), Leeds (six) and Aston Villa (seven) of the English sides he has faced. 

Fulham - Emile Smith Rowe

All eyes will be on Fulham new boy Smith Rowe following his £34million switch from Arsenal, with the possibility of joining a select few players should he find the target. 

Smith Rowe scored on his only Premier League start against United at Old Trafford in a 3-2 defeat during his time with Arsenal in December 2021. 

Only Darren Bent (Fulham and Tottenham), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Tottenham) and Frank Lampard (Chelsea and West Ham) have scored away against the Red Devils with two different London clubs in the Premier League. 

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN

United have lost just four of their 34 Premier League meetings with Fulham (24 wins, six draws), but one of those came in their most recent encounter back in February.

Ten Hag's side have struggled versus sides from the capital, losing their last three home games against teams from London. Should Fulham emerge victorious, it will be the first time since a run of five between December 1985 and September 1986 that United have lost four consecutive games against London clubs. 

But the Red Devils start their campaign in front of their home supporters for the eighth season in a row, becoming the first in Premier League history to start a season with a home game in eight seasons consecutively.

Fulham, however, will be out to cause an upset. They won two of their final three Premier League away games last season (one draw), as many as they managed in their first 16 on the road in 2023-24 (five draws, nine defeats).

Following their victory in Manchester in February, Fulham are looking to win on consecutive league visits to United for the first time. They’ve faced them at Old Trafford in their opening league match three times previously, losing all three (0-1 in 1950-51, 2-3 in 2001-02 and 1-5 in 2006-07).

And there is no better man to lead them out than Silva, who is unbeaten in his last nine opening day matches (three wins, six draws), with his last such defeat coming in the Primeira Liga with Estoril in 2012-13 (1-2 v Olhanense).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester United - 58.5%

Draw - 20.9%

Fulham - 20.6%

Manchester United have confirmed that Luke Shaw will miss the start of the Premier League season with a calf injury.

The left-back sustained the injury in pre-season training and is set to be out until at least the September international break.

He is expected to miss the Red Devils' matches against Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool.

Shaw struggled with injuries last season and was limited to just 15 appearances in all competitions and missed the last three months of the campaign with a hamstring problem.

However, he recovered from that injury in time to represent England in the latter stages of Euro 2024.

United are also still without long-term absentee Tyrell Malacia, leaving Erik ten Hag without a natural left-back, though new signing Noussair Mazraoui, who joined from Bayern Munich on Tuesday, can also operate on that side. 

Manchester United have bolstered their defence with the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, the club confirmed on Tuesday. 

The defender is reunited with former manager Erik ten Hag, signing a five-year contract with the Red Devils in a deal reportedly worth around £42million.

De Ligt made 73 appearances in all competitions in two years at the Bundesliga giants, scoring five goals in that time.

He finished the season strongly, but struggled with injuries at the start, with his absence keenly felt in the league as Bayern conceded an average of 1.8 goals without him in the starting line-up compared to 1.1 with him.

De Ligt was a key figure at Ajax during Ten Hag's tenure and was made the youngest-ever captain in the club's history during that time.

The defender posted an emotional letter to Bayern supporters on social media after ending his stay with the Bundesliga side. 

It read: "Dear Bayern fans, I want to thank each and every one of you for all your love and support. I have spent two amazing years playing for this beautiful club.

"It has been a true honour to have played for a club like Bayern Munich. We have achieved unforgettable moments together. Winning the title as well as several amazing CL- nights. These memories will stay with me forever.

"This is why leaving this club feels bittersweet. I will always remember the love and support I have received from the players, the staff members and from the fans.

"The recent petition signed by so many of you has touched me deeply. Thank you all for the two amazing years. I wish FC Bayern good luck winning many more titles, like Bayern has always done. Mia San Mia.”

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.

He has signed a four-year contract with the Red Devils in a deal worth up to £17million.

He is the second player to join from the Bundesliga giants on Tuesday, following Matthijs de Ligt's arrival.

Mazraoui joined Bayern in July 2022, making 55 appearances in all competitions during his two-year spell, and is now reunited with Erik ten Hag, who gave him his debut at Ajax.

Last season, he created the third-most chances among the Bayern defenders (15) despite only making 19 appearances in the Bundesliga.

"It's an incredible feeling to be a Manchester United player, and I cannot wait to walk out at Old Trafford wearing the red shirt," Mazraoui told United's media channels.

"I know that I'm joining the club at an exciting time; everyone I've spoken to has the same ambition for us to win trophies together, and I can feel the determination to achieve that.

"Erik ten Hag played an important part in my development as a player, so it is exciting to be reuniting with him as I enter the prime years of my career. I know what he expects from his players, and I will give everything to help the group be successful."

Mazraoui is United's fourth signing this transfer window, with Joshua Zirkzee and Lenny Yoro also joining the club, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka departed earlier on Tuesday to join West Ham. 

Manchester United have bolstered their defence with the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt from Bayern Munich, the club confirmed on Tuesday. 

The defender is reunited with former manager Erik ten Hag, signing a five-year contract with the Red Devils in a deal reportedly worth around £42million.

De Ligt made 73 appearances in all competitions in two years at the Bundesliga giants, scoring five goals in that time.

He finished the season strongly, but struggled with injuries at the start, with his absence keenly felt in the league as Bayern conceded an average of 1.8 goals without him in the starting line-up compared to 1.1 with him.

De Ligt was a key figure at Ajax during Ten Hag's tenure and was made the youngest-ever captain in the club's history during that time.

The defender posted an emotional letter to Bayern supporters on social media after ending his stay with the Bundesliga side. 

It read: "Dear Bayern fans, I want to thank each and every one of you for all your love and support. I have spent two amazing years playing for this beautiful club.

"It has been a true honour to have played for a club like Bayern Munich. We have achieved unforgettable moments together. Winning the title as well as several amazing CL- nights. These memories will stay with me forever.

"This is why leaving this club feels bittersweet. I will always remember the love and support I have received from the players, the staff members and from the fans.

"The recent petition signed by so many of you has touched me deeply. Thank you all for the two amazing years. I wish FC Bayern good luck winning many more titles, like Bayern has always done. Mia San Mia.”

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has joined West Ham United on a seven-year contract for a reported fee of £15million from Manchester United.

The 26-year-old spent five seasons at the club after joining for £50million in 2019, making 190 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils.

The English defender, who was born in London, returns to the capital having started his career in the south of the city with Crystal Palace.

Now in east London as West Ham's seventh signing of the transfer window, Wan-Bissaka is looking forward to his time in claret and blue.

"It was a no-brainer for me to join West Ham - I'm excited and happy to be here. It’s an amazing feeling to be back in London," Wan-Bissaka told the West Ham website.

“I was born here, so I know the ins and outs of London, which plays a big part in my life, so to be back playing in this city means a lot to me.”

Wan-Bissaka further strengthens Julen Lopetegui's defensive options after a season in which only Sheffield United (104), Luton Town (85) and Burnley (78) conceded more than West Ham's 74 last campaign. 

The defender won 25 of his 42 tackles, a total only bettered by Kobbie Mainoo (27), Bruno Fernandes (38), Diogo Dalot (51) and Casemiro (56) for Erik ten Hag's side. 

Now, Wan-Bissaka hopes to bring his defensive prowess to the Hammers, who will hope to improve on last season’s ninth-placed finish under new manager Lopetegui.

"I can't wait to get on the pitch, get to know the players, and push on from there,” he said.

"I see a team that is in it together, that will push each other to win, and a group that has got each others' backs through thick and thin.

“Being part of that and having that insurance helps a lot when you are surrounded by a good squad."

David de Gea never considered retirement despite spending over 12 months out of football between his Manchester United exit and his arrival at Fiorentina.

De Gea left Manchester United as a free agent in 2023 after being heavily criticised throughout Erik ten Hag's first season at Old Trafford, with Andre Onana replacing him with a view towards implementing a more possession-based approach.

The Spaniard won one Premier League title, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups and the Europa League throughout his 12-year stay with United, while Petr Cech (162) is the only goalkeeper to ever better his 147 Premier League clean sheets.

However, he found it difficult to find another club and spent the entire 2023-24 campaign out of the game amid rumours linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Having finally landed in Serie A with Raffaele Palladino's Viola, De Gea says he never thought about hanging up his gloves.

"Man United is a top, top club and my heart will always be there," the 33-year-old said at his unveiling on Monday.

"I never thought about retiring, it was just difficult to find motivation for a new chapter after 12 years at a top club like Man United.

"I finally felt that at Fiorentina."

De Gea won the Premier League's Golden Glove by keeping 17 clean sheets in his final season with United, though his total of 43 goals conceded came from a figure of just 41.45 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced.

He was also criticised for a perceived inability to build from the back, with his pass completion rate of 68.33% ranking a lowly 13th among all goalkeepers to make at least five Premier League starts. 

Rio Ferdinand remains "uncertain" about Matthijs de Ligt ahead of his reported £42.9million switch from Bayern Munich to Manchester United. 

De Ligt, who made 30 appearances in all competitions for Bayern last term, is set to reunite with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford having played under the Dutchman at Ajax. 

United are after defensive reinforcements following the departures of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala, having just endured a campaign that saw them concede the most goals in a season in their Premier League history (58). 

However, Ferdinand, who made 312 appearances across a 12-year stint with the Red Devils, is unsure whether De Ligt's arrival will solve their issues. 

"I watched him at Ajax and he was brilliant in that year when Erik ten Hag was the manager, and they got to the semi-final [of the Champions League]," Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.  

"He was brilliant, commanding, everything you want in a defender.

"He's had a lot of injuries, hasn't started many games over the last two or three years and Man United are spending £45-50million on him.

"Is he going to come into Man United and make a difference? I think it's a big ask for him and all eyes are going to be on him.

"Big pressure, big opportunity for him, but there's a lot of uncertainty I think with this signing because of his previous seasons with two big clubs (Juventus and Bayern Munich) not going as well as we'd have anticipated."

He then added: "I don't think he's the answer, but it's a great opportunity for him to go in there and go, 'You know what guys? I'm going to rectify my last couple of seasons.

"That's not the real me, and I'm going to show you."

Jadon Sancho retains the faith of Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag despite his penalty miss in Saturday's Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.

United were on course to win their third piece of silverware under Ten Hag when Alejandro Garnacho gave them an 82nd-minute lead at Wembley Stadium.

However, Bernardo Silva's 89th-minute header took the game to penalties, and both Sancho and Jonny Evans failed to convert from the spot as City triumphed 7-6.

Sancho spent the second half of last season on loan at former club Borussia Dortmund after a public falling out with Ten Hag, who accused the winger of being a poor trainer in the aftermath of a defeat to Arsenal last September.

Ten Hag said he had drawn a line under the incident after Sancho rejoined the United squad for pre-season training last month, and Saturday's penalty – which was pushed onto the post by Ederson – will not impact his thinking.

"I had no doubts about him," Ten Hag said of Sancho after Saturday's game.

"He's a very good penalty taker and today he missed, but that's part of the game. I am sure in the future he will take penalties."

United have now been Community Shield runners-up on 10 occasions, more than any other club.

The Red Devils last won the trophy under Jose Mourinho in 2016, beating then-Premier League champions Leicester City 2-1 with goals from Jesse Lingard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United "have to hurt" after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield on Saturday.

Alejandro Garnacho had given the Red Devils the lead in the 82nd minute before Bernardo Silva's equaliser seven minutes later forced penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Both sides had a spot-kick saved to force sudden death before Jonny Evans' missed penalty set up Manuel Akanji to secure the trophy for Pep Guardiola's side with a 7-6 victory in the shootout.

United also had a Bruno Fernandes goal ruled out for offside, while Marcus Rashford hit the post, and though Ten Hag was largely pleased with the performance from his side, he admitted that made it tougher to accept the result.

"Tough result to take," Ten Hag told ITV. "When the performance is right, when you lose, everyone feels this.

"It hurts in your stomach. You have to feel pain and we have to hurt. We have to take this belief into the league.

"We managed to be on an equal level with Man City and got Rashford high on the pitch and good defending. We created chances, we got pressure on the ball and in possession we had some very good chances from this, so there are many positives we can take.

"We did very good to produce the second goal in the FA Cup final before half-time and weren't able to do that here."

Rashford had the most chances for United but failed to hit the target with any of his three shots as he generated an expected goals of 0.72.

After a prolific first season under Ten Hag, the winger struggled for form last year, netting just eight goals in all competitions.

Asked if he thought Rashford was low on confidence after failing to test Ederson, Ten Hag brushed concerns aside, instead looking at the positives in his performance.

"No, I think he was several times in very good positions, I am very pleased he is getting in those positions,” he said in his press conference.

"Keep going and keep getting in those positions, and he will score goals."

Pep Guardiola was delighted to see Manchester City begin their season with silverware as they beat Manchester United in the Community Shield, though he warned their triumph means nothing for their hopes of another Premier League title. 

Bernardo Silva's header cancelled out Alejandro Garnacho's goal as the Manchester rivals played out a 1-1 draw at Wembley, with City edging the penalty shoot-out 7-6. 

Manuel Akanji scored the decisive kick after Silva, Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans failed to convert, handing City their first Community Shield triumph since 2019.

City's victory came despite the absences of several players that made it to the latter stages of Euro 2024, including Rodri, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker.

While Guardiola was delighted to see his side avoid a fourth straight defeat in the annual curtain-raiser to the English season, he warned few conclusions can be drawn as they prepare to hunt a fifth consecutive Premier League title.

"I enjoyed playing against our rival in Manchester United and to start the season with a title is good. We are really pleased," Guardiola told ITV Sport.

"We lost a lot of balls, after transitions they are one of the best teams in the world. They are so dangerous to control, but in the end we did it.

"It is nice to play this game because it means you won something in the previous season.

"Now we'll see how the players come back. The target now is not to win the Premier League, it is, 'okay, next game we'll try and win it'. This is what we have to do."

The team that won the Community Shield has only gone on to finish as Premier League champions in one of the last 13 seasons, when City did so in 2018-19.

Goalkeeper Ederson was entrusted with taking City's fifth kick in the shoot-out, when a failure to score would have handed United victory.

Asked about the decision to put Ederson forward, Guardiola said: "He is our best penalty taker, along with Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne. All three are our best."

Guardiola was particularly pleased to see Akanji convert the winning kick after missing from 12 yards in Switzerland's Euro 2024 quarter-final loss to England, saying: "He missed it in the Euros and I love that he had the personality to take it."

Ruben Dias declared Manchester City "love to win finals" after they defeated rivals Manchester United on penalties to win the Community Shield.

The reigning Premier League champions avenged their defeat to United in May's FA Cup final with a 7-6 shoot-out win at Wembley on Saturday.

That came after Bernardo Silva headed in Oscar Bobb's cross in the final minute of normal time to cancel out Alejandro Garnacho's 82nd-minute strike. 

City won the season's curtain-raising fixture for a seventh time - and the first time since 2019 - to give themselves momentum heading into the new Premier League campaign.

And captain Dias, who has won 10 trophies as a City player, including the Community Shield, was proud of the way his team-mates dug in at Wembley.

"We're happy to start the season in the way we have and obviously there's a lot to come," he told ITV Sport. "It's another trophy and we're always happy to collect trophies. 

"We've just had a long season and we still don't have a full squad back but it is very good for us to start this way.

"It's very different circumstances to the FA Cup final but it's a final and we love to win finals. The way we played, conceding a goal but then to make it 1-1, I'm very proud of all of us and very happy with the win."

Like they had towards the end of the 90 minutes, United looked on their way to victory in the penalty shoot-out when Andre Onana denied Silva from City's first attempt.

However, Ederson helped Jadon Sancho's pen onto the post before himself going on to score as City prevailed in sudden-death.

Ederson buried his penalty, giving opposite number Onana no chance, and team-mate Manuel Akanji believes he is City's king of pens.

"Ederson is probably the best penalty taker in our team, Erling [Haaland] as well," he told ITV Sport. "When Ederson takes the penalty, I know it is a goal.

"It wasn't easy today. We played well. United got a bit better before it went to 1-0. Then it was a great cross from Oscar and Bernardo's header."

City face Chelsea a week on Sunday in the opening game of their Premier League title defence, but they will first revel in their latest trophy triumph.

"This is a great feeling - the first time we have the trophy in a number of years," Bobb said. "To do it with a young group is great. We had belief all the way through. We kept going and didn't get too downbeat.

"It's another trophy. It's a great start. This gives us a lot of confidence and no negatives."