Noussair Mazraoui has no plans to walk away from Ajax this summer despite reports linking the right-back with a move to Premier League giants Arsenal, as he told Voetbal4U.
While the Gunners are closing in on a new left-back – Nuno Tavares has already agreed a five-year contract and is expected to shake hands with Mikel Arteta over the next few days – attention may soon turn to a man capable of competing for a starting berth on the opposite flank too.
It is no secret that Hector Bellerin will be allowed to leave after a decade in North London. But finding a replacement for the Catalan-turned-cockney proving to be easier said than done.
Emerson Royal and Achraf Hakimi have new clubs already. Sergino Dest, meanwhile, is determined to fight for his place at Barcelona after an impressive debut season at the Camp Nou.
Mazraoui struck a very similar tone when asked about his future at Ajax too, with the Morocco international looking to put those injury problems behind him and re-establish himself as one of the first names on Erik Ten Hag’s team-sheet.
Are Arsenal going to miss out on an Ajax ace?
“I don’t want to leave yet, but it depends on how the talks go. I’m just waiting,” said Mazraoui, a key figure in the Ajax side who reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.
“We are in talks and need to see what comes of it. This is my club and this is already my sixth season. I wouldn’t want to leave soon. I’ll leave it to my agent, but I hope it works out.
“I’ve had a lot of unfortunate injuries. I have come back stronger and I am looking forward to this season.”
It was reported a month ago that Arsenal could have signed Mazraoui for as little as £9 million, with just one year left on his contract.
But it seems that both player and club are on the same page; handing Mazraoui a new, long-term contract is the right thing to do, from a sporting and a financial sense.
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