Manchester United is nearing a deal to sign Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui after reaching an agreement on a fee between £15m and £20m for the right-back. However, a potential issue lies in the necessity to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka to fund the transfer.
Initially, the Moroccan was set to join West Ham, but that agreement fell through. Now, the east London club is focused on acquiring Wan-Bissaka, although a suitable price for United must still be negotiated. West Ham had previously settled on a fee of £12.6m plus £2.3m with the German team for Mazraoui.
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Erik ten Hag, who coached the 26-year-old at Ajax from 2018 until his move to Old Trafford four years later, believes that Mazraoui can help enhance Antony’s performance. The two previously collaborated on the right side during their successful title-winning campaigns in 2020-21 and 2021-2022, forming a notable partnership.
For the transfer of Mazraoui to proceed, Wan-Bissaka, who has one year remaining on his contract, must leave first. The defender, who was signed from Crystal Palace for £45m in June 2019, could bring in a fee of approximately £15m.
Additionally, United is facing challenges at left-back. Ten Hag’s preferred choice, Luke Shaw, is absent from the US tour due to his participation in the European Championship and has a history of recurrent injuries. Tyrell Malacia, the backup, missed the entire last season because of a knee injury and has been excluded from the tour squad to continue his rehabilitation at the club’s Carrington training facility. This situation might compel United to explore the market for a left-back, though, similarly to the Mazraoui deal, funds would need to be generated through player sales first.
On Sunday, Ten Hag was awaiting news on the severity of injuries sustained by Rasmus Højlund and Leny Yoro during Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Arsenal at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium.
