Rio Ferdinand played a pivotal role in helping Manchester United sign one of their two new central defenders this season but it is the other new arrival that is shining on the pitch so far.
Leny Yoro spoke to Ferdinand before the 18-year-old agreed a move from Lille to Old Trafford but his debut has been delayed after a foot injury in pre-season. United expect the £52m defender to have a long career at the club.
His first challenge will be to force his way into the team and that won’t be easy on the form of Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt so far this term. Martinez, after an injury disrupted 2023/24, is back to the quality he showed in his first season at the club, although he was maybe a little fortunate not to be sent-off at Crystal Palace.
He now has a partner alongside him that compliments his game and the Argentine and the Dutchman could form a potent duo the likes of which United haven’t seen in a decade, since Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were sending shivers down the spines of Premier League forwards.
It is the kind of partnership it was hoped that Martinez and Raphael Varane would form, only for injury to mean it never really got a sustained run. They started 22 games together in their first season as a pairing but only six last term. They never had a run of more than four successive games.
De Ligt and Martinez have now been together for three Premier League games and after a false start against Liverpool they have helped United to back-to-back league clean sheets for the first time in nine months. In a limited sample size, they look like a well-balanced partnership.
Both are comfortable on the ball with a good range of passing and while Martinez is aggressive and can follow his man tightly, De Ligt can be happy to drop a little deeper and survey the bigger picture. He is also proving a goal threat from set-pieces.
At 25 and 26 they are also a good age to form a long-term partnership, something that United have really lacked in the last 10 years or so. Too offer central defenders have either underperformed or been overpromoted at Old Trafford.
Marcos Rojo and Eric Bailly were never really up to the task. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones never quite good enough. Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have been solid but more is required at United. In De Ligt and Martinez United might have the answer.
Ferdinand certainly sees qualities in De Ligt, who joined from Bayern Munich for £38m this summer. He spoke to him at Carrington just before the win at Southampton and is encouraged by what he has seen and heard.
“I actually went to the training ground the other day and I spent the whole day there,” he said on the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel.
“He came over and we spoke a little bit. You can see he’s got a good energy. Eager to be there, eager to get into the assignment, understands the assignment at Manchester United.
“He’s been at big clubs. He understands what it’s like, the pressure. He is excited to be part of the new, kind-off, Man United under new Ineos management.”
“I am interested to see how he does,” Ferdinand, the 2008 Champions League, winner adds. “Because I can sense a leadership kind-off role there for him, someone who can influence over people as well.
“He just needs games. I don’t think he’s played enough games over the last couple of years. I just don’t think there’s been a consistency of performance as well.
“You need to remember; 18 years old, he went to the semi-final of the Champions League (and was) billed as a top, top player.”
That was under the tutelage of Ten Hag. A reunion might be just what De Ligt needs and the signs are already promising that United finally have an elite-level central defensive partnership again.