FC Bayern has now officially struck on the transfer market: Despite the competition, coach Julian Nagelsmann has gotten a dream player: Noussair Mazraoui should play on the right side in the future. The newcomer raves about the club and the bosses are also enthusiastic.
There's a rumor going around that they didn't even have Noussair Mazraoui on their radar at Bayern. The Munich team spoke to the recently deceased player agent Mino Raiola about Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax Amsterdam, but then also asked about his team-mates. And now: The free transfer Mazraoui is also officially the first entry for the new season, he has a contract until 2026. Positive news in view of the hiccups surrounding Robert Lewandowski.
Mazraoui is not a goalscorer. But one of the rare and therefore sought-after right-backs throughout Europe. Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic proudly pointed out that the 24-year-old native of the Netherlands, who plays for the Moroccan national team (12 appearances so far), had "offers from all over Europe" and still "choose us". Why? "Because we have a clear plan with him."
Right-backs with equally defensive and offensive qualities are a rare breed. At Bayern, they once had one of the best in Philipp Lahm - and since his retirement in 2017 in this position, they have had more "foreigners" like six-man Joshua Kimmich and central defender Benjamin Pavard. The French will be squeezed out from the right side and pushed towards the center of defence.
Mazraoui is considered the player of choice by coach Julian Nagelsmann and is not only highly qualified for the intended task in terms of sport. "We," said Salihamidzic, "also like his mentality very much: He's burning for this challenge at Bayern." Club boss Oliver Kahn called the first access for the coming season "the next building block to further strengthen our team in a targeted manner", he expands "our possibilities".
Mazraoui assured that he "had a good feeling right from the first talks with FC Bayern". He goes to Munich "because I can win the biggest titles here". According to reports, FC Barcelona was one of the toughest competitors in the battle for Mazraoui. Ultimately, Nagelsmann's decisive personal intervention is said to have been the deciding factor for FC Bayern.
In Munich, Mazraoui will probably soon meet his former team-mate Gravenberch. However, Bayern are still haggling over the fee. Ajax originally asked for 30 million euros for the 19-year-old midfielder.
