The £17m transfer bargain that can buck Erik ten Hag trend and give Man United exactly what they want

When Noussair Mazraoui left the field for the final time as an Ajax player, there was a warm embrace on the sidelines from Erik ten Hag. The two could soon be sharing a welcome to Manchester hug.

United are monitoring Mazraoui and the Morocco international’s decision to turn down a move to West Ham had further fuelled the prospect of another Ajax reunion at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag has a penchant for signing players he’s worked with before or with experience in the Eredivisie and Mazraoui fits that bill. It's hard to call the United manager's success rate with such a strategy a success with Antony, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount having plenty to prove even if Andre Onana and Lisandro Martinez have shown their value.

READ MORE: Ten Hag gives new update on United transfer plans

READ MORE: What United have done to avoid more injuries

But the 26-year-old Mazraoui is far more than an Ajax alumni. His time in Amsterdam spanned 17 years. As a youngster there were three rejection letters from the club before he was accepted into the prestigious academy. Even then this wasn’t a straightforward stroll into the first team, Mazraoui fought and grafted to make the grade and it was Ten Hag who gave him a senior chance with a debut in 2018.

"The first time they told me I was too lightweight," Mazraoui recalled of his early career. "It hurt. I was a little boy, and cried. After my fourth try-out, I got an acceptance letter."

“I was never the greatest talent,” he added. “I came into the pro ranks as an amateur...without a [professional] contract. You can’t say I didn’t have the potential. But it just hadn’t developed for a long time.”

A clutch of appearances in 2017-18 preceded a change in position to right back and from there