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 throughout the Amsterdam membership’s unimaginable 2018/19 marketing campaign through which they had been not more than a kick away from reaching the Champions League last.
To make manner for Mazraoui, United have offloaded Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The transfer hinged on that taking place 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 virtually 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 degree it has been rather a lot calmer. The defender made the senior breakthrough at Ajax throughout the 2017/18 season carrying 40 on his again. The next marketing campaign, he traded right down to 12 and saved 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, regardless that many decrease numbers – together with 12 – had been obtainable.
At worldwide degree with Morocco, Mazraoui has virtually completely worn 3.
Neither 40, nor 12, are instantly obtainable at Previous Trafford. Tyrell Malacia at present 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 obtainable 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 might look to a different acquainted quantity, 3, which is accessible after final being worn by Eric Bailly. The quantity 4 shirt can be obtainable however is a extra possible alternative for compatriot Matthijs de Ligt as he prepares to make the identical transfer from Munich to Manchester.
An alternate might be 34. Mazraoui is just a few months youthful than former Ajax academy participant Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered everlasting mind harm 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 current departure to Girona.
United’s different vacant numbers are 13, 19, 27, 30, 31, 33, 38 and 42.
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