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Matthijs de Ligt stole the headlines when Manchester United completed a double signing from Bayern Munich in 2024, but it was the man he arrived alongside who impressed in his first season at the club. Being one of the better performers in a team that finished 15th in the table and without a trophy is hardly one for the CV, but Noussair Mazraoui enjoyed an encouraging first season in England. The Morocco international was consistent without being spectacular, and a modest fee of just £12.8m with a further £4.3m in add-ons represented a decent but of business for United . De Ligt, meanwhile, struggled to adapt to life at Old Trafford. With nearly £43m shelled out on the Netherlands international, there was always going to be more expected of him than Mazraoui, but he struggled to live up to the price tag as his career continued the steady decline it had been on for the best part of five years. After bursting onto the scene with Ajax, De Ligt's career hit the buffers with failed spells at Juventus and Bayern, with the fee United paid for his services reflective of the player he once suggested he could become rather than the one we had watched over the last five years. Three months into the new season and how the perception of the Dutchman has shifted. De Ligt has looked a totally different player in 2025/26. In Saturday's draw with Spurs he marshalled the backline brilliantly, only to let himself down late on as Mathys Tel intelligently shifted away from him and fired Spurs level. It was a lapse in concentration from De Ligt that will always be punished in the Premier League, but he showed tremendous character to bounce back and rescue a point for United at the death. “Well, the first thing that’s really important is I had a proper pre-season. I feel, for me and my body, pre-season is always really important," De Ligt told MUTV recently when asked about his improved performances this term . "I think it was one of the first pre-seasons in five or six years when I didn't have a transfer, an injury or a Euros. The last time was probably my last season at Ajax and that was actually one of the best seasons of my career! I feel it is a big thing that is really important. “I feel that mentally and physically I am in a really good place. I feel quite confident. Obviously, my teammates and the manager help a lot because they give me this confidence. I think I am also used to the Premier League as well now, the pace, which helps also. Overall, these are the most important things that take me to this level at the moment.” A full pre-season with the club has certainly helped and De Ligt is looking every bit the £43m player United hoped they had signed last summer. The Dutchman could have easily let his head drop after his late error at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but he should be applauded for fighting back to snatch a point. United need leaders in the dressing room. De Ligt is just that. --- Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories. And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .
