July 23rd 2024.
Erik ten Hag, the Manchester United manager, has his sights set on one of his former players from Ajax, Noussair Mazraoui, who currently plays for Bayern Munich. Ten Hag believes that signing Mazraoui as a right-back could have a positive impact on Antony's career at Old Trafford.
Manchester United has already made significant investments this summer, bringing in players like Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro and currently in talks to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain to strengthen their midfield options. However, ten Hag is also looking to bolster the team's right-back position.
While Diogo Dalot established himself as a key player last season, it seems that Aaron Wan-Bissaka may be on his way out, with West Ham United interested in signing the former Crystal Palace star. In light of this, United has been in "concrete" discussions with Bayern about bringing in Mazraoui, who played under ten Hag at Ajax and won three Eredivisie titles before moving to Germany in 2022.
If Mazraoui joins United, he would provide added depth at right-back in case Wan-Bissaka does leave. But more importantly, ten Hag believes that the Moroccan international's presence could help unlock the potential of Antony, who has struggled since joining United two years ago.
During their time at Ajax, Mazraoui and Antony formed a strong partnership on the right side of the field, and ten Hag is confident that reuniting them at United could improve Antony's performances. The Times has reported that Mazraoui's arrival could have a positive impact on Antony's goal and assist returns, which have been a cause for concern for the club.
Antony joined United from Ajax for a record fee of £85million in August 2022 and made an impressive start, scoring in his first three appearances for the club. He also played a crucial role in the team's Europa League triumph over Barcelona last season. However, his contributions in terms of goals and assists have declined since then, with only three goals and five assists in 82 appearances for the club.
Despite these struggles, Antony's agent has dismissed reports of him leaving United on loan this summer. On the other hand, Bayern is open to selling Mazraoui and is looking for a fee of around €25million [£21m] to €20million [£16.8m]. However, United believes that a more realistic price would be between €15m [£12.6m] to €20m [£16.8m].
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