Why new Man Utd signing Mazraoui is NOT an upgrade to Wan-Bissaka

Martin Macdonald

• Updated: 10 Aug 2024 17:12 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are nearing the completion of a move for Noussair Mazraoui, but the numbers show that the defender is hardly a step up from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Man Utd will pay €15m plus €5m in add-ons for the full-back, who is primarily right-sided but can also feature on the left. Wan-Bissaka, meanwhile, is set to join the Hammers, in a deal worth €17.5m.

The deal is almost like-for-like but for a club looking for an upgrade, there are far better options than Mazraoui for the Red Devils.

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Mazraoui plays further up the pitch than Wan-Bissaka and does have a tendency to expose the centre-backs. Not being able to offer an attacking threat was a huge issue in Wan-Bissaka's game, but defensively he was among the best.

But even then, Mazraoui lacks recovery speed, while, similar to the departing Red Devils player, his crossing ability is sub-par.

Mazraoui's technical skills and more aggressive approach in attack have made him a consistent threat in the final third during his last two years at Bayern, far surpassing Wan-Bissaka in this area.

The Moroccan excels at advancing the ball up the pitch. This ability to drive forward and create opportunities highlights the significant difference between the two players in their offensive contributions.

He can cover both positions and has a degree of versatility in his game. He thrived at Ajax when Erik ten Hag used him as an inverted full-back and reverted to a back-three. But it's unlikely that the Dutchman would make such a drastic call in his third season at Man Utd boss.

Of course, it's no secret either that Mazraoui has a concerning injury record. Even when at Ajax, the Morocco international struggled for fitness throughout his tenure there. Last season alone, he missed 17 matches for Bayern.

Man Utd are set to bring the 26-year-old Old Trafford, but instead of addressing their issues entirely at right-back, they have seemingly traded one set of deficiencies for another.