'That is why' - Noussair Mazraoui explains why he left Bayern Munich for Manchester United
Man Utd completed the signing of Noussair Mazraoui from FC Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window.
Noussair Mazraoui believed he could feel 'more comfortable' at another club when he decided to join Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
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United completed the signing of Mazraoui from Bayern Munich for an initial fee of €15 million with a potential €5m in add-ons. The Dutch defender signed a contract until June 2028, with the option of an additional year.
After a bright start to life at his new club, the 26-year-old could be considered one of the best Premier League signings of the summer, though there is still plenty of work to be done before he can be classified as a success.
Mazraoui took a risk by leaving German giants Bayern Munich to join a United side that is still in transition, but his reason for making the move was also about personal fulfilment.
"I think if you compare both of them you cannot say one is bigger than the other, maybe internationally speaking Manchester United is probably even bigger than Bayern Munich so that is one of the reasons," he said on Tuesday. "The other reason is I felt the summer after two seasons playing in Bayern that I needed and wanted another step based on a lot of reasons. I felt okay there but I felt I can feel better and more comfortable somewhere else and that is why I chose to change clubs and MU came and I don’t think I have to explain why I join such a club."
Another key factor for moving to Old Trafford was manager Erik ten Hag, who he worked with previously at Ajax. While he was not the sole reason why he joined United, Mazraoui admitted their working relationship was certainly a contributing factor.
He added: "Of course it is a big factor, always if you decide to go to another club if the manager and his way of seeing football fits into how you play. I knew him already and his way of seeing the game it fits into how I play and that is a big factor. That you work before with him also makes it easy so I knew what he expected of me and he knew it from my side as well. It makes it easier but it was not the only factor to come to this big club."