Manchester United are closing in on signing Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui after agreeing on a fee between £15m and £20m for the right-back. However, a potential stumbling block is the need to sell Aaron Wan-Bissaka to finance the transfer.
While the Moroccan defender was initially set to join West Ham, that deal fell through. Now, the east London club is intent on recruiting Wan-Bissaka, although a suitable price still needs to be negotiated. West Ham had previously agreed to a £12.6m plus £2.3m price with the German club for Mazraoui.
Erik ten Hag, who coached the 26-year-old at Ajax from 2018 until his departure for Old Trafford, believes Mazraoui can aid Antony’s form. Mazraoui supported the Brazilian on the Dutch club’s right flank during their title-winning seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22, and they impressed as a pairing.
For Mazraoui’s transfer to occur, Wan-Bissaka, who has a year left on his contract, would need to depart first. The defender, signed from Crystal Palace for £45m in June 2019, would draw a fee of around £15m.
United also have concerns at left-back. Ten Hag’s first choice, Luke Shaw, who is not on the US tour due to his European Championship participation, has a track record of frequent injuries. Tyrell Malacia, his deputy, missed all of last season with a knee injury and was left out of the tour squad to continue his rehabilitation at the club’s Carrington training complex. This situation may prompt United to move in the market for a left-back, though, as with the Mazraoui deal, funds would need to be generated first by sales.
