The Ineos hi-jack is starting to become a bit of a party piece at Manchester United.
First there was Joshua Zirkzee, snapped up from under the noses of AC Milan. Youssouf Fofana – the Monaco enforcer with a rapidly-expiring contract – could yet go the same way mind you.
Then came Leny Yoro, seemingly destined for Real Madrid but ending up at Old Trafford.
Now, it could be Noussair Mazraoui’s turn, Manchester United jumping in with both feet after it emerged that West Ham would no longer be pressing ahead with a potential £16 million deal for the Bayern Munich full-back.
Talks, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg reports, are already ‘advanced’.
Mazraoui, like Antony, Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez and fellow target Matthijs de Ligt, has worked with United boss Erik ten Hag before. He was a key part of that thrilling Ajax side which came within a Lucas Moura hat-trick of the Champions League final back in 2019.
Five years on, Mazraoui is in need of a fresh start after two seasons spent largely warming the Bayern bench.
And while the Morocco international would arguably not improve Man United’s starting XI – unlike, say, Zirkzee or Yoro – Mazraoui is the sort of affordable, versatile addition who could add depth and further technical quality to a squad that is finally starting to take shape.
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Manchester United in Noussair Mazraoui talks
Not only can the 26-year-old play on either flank, he also possesses the technical ability and the tactical intelligence to slot into one of the inverted full-back roles in Ten Hag’s system.
Via his official YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano provided an update on the Mazraoui situation on Friday, after talks with West Ham broke down.
And he says that Man United is now the first-choice destination for a player who would arrive in England with three Eredivisie winners’ medals and a Bundesliga title in his collection.
“Noussair Mazraoui has decided to give total priority to Manchester United,” Romano explains. “He would love to go to United, he wants the move and would love to be with Ten Hag.
“Mazraoui is waiting for United and an agreement over personal terms will not be a problem.”
The likelihood is, however, that the Red Devils will not be able to finalise a deal unless a new home is found first for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The long-ruling King of the Slide Tackle has also been linked with West Ham, alongside Turkish champions Galatasaray and an Inter Milan outfit reportedly ready to offer him an initial three-year deal at San Siro.
The Athletic reports that Wan-Bissaka rejected The Hammers advances this week. Romano, however, feels that discussions over a return to London are not entirely dead just yet.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka could still join West Ham
“The crucial step is what happens with Wan-Bissaka,” Romano adds. “United will bring a new right-back only if Wan-Bissaka leaves.
“He has one year left on his contract and interest from Inter is true. But he would also be prepared to wait for the next few weeks to see what happens with opportunities.
“Maybe United can find a solution for Wan-Bissaka with West Ham because Mazraoui is not going there. The deal was advanced but it was never done with the player because Mazraoui was giving clear priority to United.”
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