Manchester United are finalising a deal to signal right-back Noussair Mazraoui, a switch that can reunite the Morocco worldwide with supervisor Erik ten Hag.
Dutch-born Mazraoui spent 16 years at Ajax in complete, making 137 first-team appearances below Ten Hag – that included 48 through the Amsterdam membership’s unbelievable 2018/19 marketing campaign during which they have been not more than a kick away from reaching the Champions League closing.
To make method for Mazraoui, United have offloaded Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The transfer hinged on that occuring and the previous Crystal Palace man will begin afresh again in London at West Ham United.
Mazraoui is a right-back by commerce and can primarily compete with Diogo Dalot. However each gamers are versatile sufficient that they’ll function on the left, which has confirmed to be a weak spot.
As a participant so versatile – he performed nearly in every single place throughout his days as with Ajax’s junior sides – Mazraoui has worn greater than his fair proportion of various shirt numbers over the previous decade.
At first-team stage it has been rather a lot calmer. The defender made the senior breakthrough at Ajax through the 2017/18 season sporting 40 on his again. The next marketing campaign, he traded all the way down to 12 and stored that shirt for the rest of his time on the membership.
However when he made the swap to Bayern Munich in 2022, Mazraoui sought familiarity and opted for 40 once more, despite the fact that many decrease numbers – together with 12 – have been accessible.
At worldwide stage with Morocco, Mazraoui has nearly completely worn 3.
Neither 40, nor 12, are instantly accessible at Previous Trafford. Tyrell Malacia at the moment has the latter, whereas the 40 shirt is occupied by younger goalkeeper Radek Vitek, who impressed in a pleasant final month. Nonetheless, it might be made accessible because the Czech stopper is reported to be heading on mortgage, having spent the primary half of 2024 with Accrington Stanley. Nothing has been made official as but.
If Vitek’s shirt is not vacated, Mazraoui may look to a different acquainted quantity, 3, which is offered after final being worn by Eric Bailly. The quantity 4 shirt can be accessible however is a extra probably selection for compatriot Matthijs de Ligt as he prepares to make the identical transfer from Munich to Manchester.
An alternate might be 34. Mazraoui is only some months youthful than former Ajax academy participant Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered everlasting mind injury after collapsing on the pitch throughout a pleasant in 2017. A lot of his contemporaries have worn 34, Nouri’s shirt, at numerous golf equipment in tribute – together with Donny van de Beek at United, till his latest departure to Girona.
United’s different vacant numbers are 13, 19, 27, 30, 31, 33, 38 and 42.
