Erik ten Hag is targeting Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui with the Manchester United manager believing the right back can aid Antony’s form, though Aaron Wan-Bissaka would have to be sold to finance a transfer that would cost in the region of £21m.
Mazraoui is one of several right-back options being considered by Ten Hag who coached the 26-year-old Moroccan at Ajax from 2018 up until his departure to Old Trafford four years later. Mazraoui supported Antony on Ajax’s right flank during their title-winning seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-2022 and they impressed as a pairing.
Mazraoui joined Bayern in May 2022 while Antony moved to United in the August of that year for £82m, reuniting with Ten Hag but largely failing to impress ever since, while also being caught up in controversy, namely accusations of assault from women that the Brazilian has strongly denied. Ten Hag believes Antony’s iform can be turned around, with the targeting of Mazraoui part of the 54-year-old’s plan to do so.
For the transfer to occur, Wan-Bissaka, who has a year left on his contract, would have to leave first. The defender, signed from Crystal Palace for £45m in June 2019, would draw a fee of around £15m and is a target for West Ham.
Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho is attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain with United valuing the 24-year-old in the region of £40m. Sancho will fly to the US on Wednesday for United’s summer tour and though he and Ten Hag are reconciled following the exile that led to Sancho being loaned back to Borussia Dortmund last season, United’s need to sell to buy means they would consider an offer from the French champions, who want to recruit a player of the winger’s profile in the wake of Kylian Mbappé’s departure to Real Madrid.
United will take a reduced total of 125 staff members to the US as the club moves to cut 250 members from their 1,144-strong payroll. Those whose positions are in danger were informed last week they would not be part of the club’s summer tour. United declined to comment.
