Manchester United struck one of the best bargains in the Premier League in 2024, but there was a reason for the low price.
It is no secret that Manchester United have struggled in player recruitment across the past decade.
2024 was Ineos‘ first summer transfer window, and there were a few positive signs, with the exciting deal for Leny Yoro for one.
The biggest success was arguably the £12.8 million deal to sign Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich.
Mazraoui played in five different positions in 2024-25, and after just two games, Ruben Amorim lauded the defender as ‘incredible’ and ‘the future’.
Noussair Mazraoui playing against Burnley in the Premier League.
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Noussair Mazraoui deal came with a risk
There is no doubt Noussair Mazraoui has been an excellent signing for Manchester United, based on his consistent performances to date.
Even if he had signed for £40 million, Mazraoui would have provided good value. At just £12.8 million, he really has been outstanding.
But why did Mazraoui come so cheap? There was a quite simple reason for this. Mazraoui came with a worrying injury history at Bayern.
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Between the start of the 2020/2021 season and the end of 2023/24, Mazraoui had 16 different injuries, missed 331 days and 73 games in total.
His final season at Bayern saw him play the equivalent of just 13 full 90 minutes, with the German side unable to rely on him on a weekly basis.
So it was somewhat miraculous that Mazraoui’s fitness held up so well in 2024/25.
Mazraoui played a staggering 57 matches in total as Manchester United competed in domestic competitions and European.
It was an outlier considering Mazraoui’s fitness problems previously, and now there are worrying signs of regression.
Mazraoui cracks begin to show
Noussair Mazraoui missed all of pre-season due to injury, although he did travel on the US tour.
To date he has played only 132 minutes from a possible 630 minutes in all competitions last season. He has played in three matches, starting two.
Ruben Amorim ruled Mazraoui out of Manchester United’s draw with Brentford, and also revealed that he will miss the game against Sunderland too.
He is due back after the international break, with it unclear whether he will be called up by Morocco for their fixtures.
Mazraoui’s susceptibility to injuries was masked for 12 months, but is raising its head again this season.
Manchester United have to manage him well and try to help him find some consistency, to prevent this becoming a trend.