Dutch Giants Ajax Aims A Cheeky Jibe At Man United After Matthijs de Ligt & Noussair Mazraoui Signing.

• Ajax sends a cheeky response message to Manchester United following Matthijs de Ligt & Noussair Mazraoui double signing from Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.

• The double deal sees a reunion with Man United manager Erik ten Hag, who also managed both players during his time at Ajax.

• Man United have now spent €272.4M to bring 5 of Erik ten Hag's former Ajax players to Old Trafford over the last 2 years!

It happened that  both players were part of the Ajax squad under Ten Hag that stunned Europe by reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2018/19 season as they beat Real Madrid and Juventus, before losing to Tottenham in dramatic circumstances.

This was a feat that brought Ten Hag into the spotlight as one of Europe’s most promising managers. 

Since taking the reins at United two years ago, Ten Hag has made it a priority to bring in players he trusts and knows well. The arrival of De Ligt and Mazraoui means that United now boasts five former Ajax players in their squad, following the earlier signings of Lisandro Martinez, Antony, and Andre Onana.

Ajax and United have shared a strong relationship over the years, and their influence at Old Trafford has not gone unnoticed by the Dutch club either. 

In a light-hearted response to the transfer news, Ajax humorously posted on their official page on X (formerly twitter): "Manchester is red," accompanied by a winking face emoji. 

The post was well-received by United supporters who jokingly suggested that Ajax had become their 'feeder club' as players continue to arrive in England that have represented both clubs.

One reply to Ajax's online post stated: ''We are building a full Ajax XI, do you have any more players for sale?''

Another United fan account similarly joked: ''Our sister club. Keep producing the gems for us.''

Another user @Annychizzy added; "Who do you want in our squad? Say the name and it’s done now that we’re all family and all."

Manchester is red 😉

— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) August 13, 2024 

De Ligt then became Ajax youngest ever captain, aged 18, following an injury to Joel Veltman.

His performances for the Dutch giants - and the Netherlands - earned him a move to Juventus for £67.5m in 2019.

He won a title in his first season and a Coppa Italia the year after but was then sold to Bayern Munich in 2022 for £65.6m, where he won the 2022/23 Bundesliga title.

On the other hand, Mazraoui also came through the famed Ajax academy, making his league debut in 2018.

United could further continue their trend of signing ex-Ajax stars as they continue to step up their interest in Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The Catalan club are open to selling the one-time Ajax star who starred under Ten Hag and has been a long-term target of his former manager, but has previously opted to stay in LaLiga.

Erik ten Hag continues to shape the squad in his image, the expectation is that the 13-time Premier League champions will return to the upper echelons of English and European football following a disastrous eighth-place finish in the league last season.