There’s a rumor going around that they didn’t even have Noussair Mazraoui on their radar at Bayern. The Munich side spoke to the recently deceased agent Mino Raiola about a transfer of Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax Amsterdam, but then also inquired about his team-mates. And now: Mazraoui is Bayern’s first new signing for the new season.
Mazraoui, 24, originally from Alphen aan den Rijn (Alphen am Rhein), was accepted into the Ajax Amsterdam youth academy at the age of eight. Erik ten Haag, once an amateur coach at FC Bayern and soon to be team manager at Manchester United, made him his professional debut on February 4, 2018: in midfield. Mazraoui quickly settled down: as a right-back.
Attacking right-backs are a sought-after species. At FC Bayern they had one of the best in Philipp Lahm and since his retirement in 2017 in this position they have had more “foreigners” like six-pointer Joshua Kimmich and central defender Benjamin Pavard.
“He’s the type of player that the whole of Europe was looking for,” says sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic about Mazraoui.
FC Bayern is Mazraoui’s “dream club”
In fact, FC Barcelona, among others, tried to get Mazraoui – but last but not least, telephone calls to coach Julian Nagelsmann convinced him to switch to Bayern. Free transfer. For four years.
Mazraoui can defend in a back four or push forward in front of a back three. This is one of the reasons why he is considered Nagelsmann’s dream player.
Mazraoui, meanwhile a Moroccan international, calls FC Bayern “my dream club” and he will probably meet Gravenberch there. However, the German record champions are still haggling over the fee. Ajax originally asked for 30 million euros for the 19-year-old midfielder.