It's been a busy summer for Manchester United so far, with two big signings, Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, already through the door.
It feels like this could be the beginning of an exciting chapter for the Red Devils and another opportunity for Erik ten Hag to show the rest of the Premier League what he can really do.
That said, given the nature of their season last year, there is still plenty of work to be done and stars to sign in the coming weeks.
One player who looks set to be replaced is right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with recent reports already naming his successor.
Manchester United transfer news
According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have now reached an agreement on personal terms with Bayern Munich full-back Noussair Mazraoui.
The good news keeps coming for United fans though, as Romano also revealed that the club has agreed to the transfer with the German side and that the player wants the move, although he'll have to wait for Wan-Bissaka's departure.
The Italian does not mention how much this deal may cost United, but a report from the Guardian on Sunday night claimed the agreed fee is thought to be between £15m and £20m.
It's not necessarily a cheap transfer, but by all accounts, it looks like good business from the Red Devils, as Mazraoui is undoubtedly an upgrade on Wan-Bissaka.
How Mazraoui compares to Wan-Bissaka
So, if the intention of United is to sign Mazraoui as a replacement for Wan-Bissaka – which seems to be the case – how does he stack up to the former Palace ace?
Well, the first thing to look at is their output, as even though they're defenders, full-backs must contribute going forward in the modern game, and in this area, it's a comfortable victory for the Moroccan international.
For example, in 29 appearances last season, totalling 1982 minutes, he provided four assists, equating to a goal involvement every 7.25 games or every 495.5 minutes.
In contrast, the Croydon-born full-back provided three assists in 30 appearances, totalling 2411 minutes, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every ten games or every 803.6 minutes.
What about their underlying numbers, then? When we look under the hood, is it another clear victory for the "terrific" Bayern ace, as dubbed by former manager Julian Nagelsmann?
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.20
0.08
Progressive Passes
7.74
3.89
Progressive Carries
2.56
1.52
Shots
0.90
0.15
Shots on Target
0.23
0.05
Passing Accuracy
88.3%
83.5%
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.28
0.81
Crosses into the Penalty Area
0.23
0.15
Key Passes
1.13
0.61
Shot-Creating Actions
2.71
1.31
Goal-Creating Actions
0.53
0.15
Tackles Won
1.58
1.26
Blocks
1.05
1.46
Interceptions
1.50
2.07
Successful Take-Ons
0.90
0.86
Ball Recoveries
4.74
4.75
Aerial Duels Won
1.43
1.06
Unsurprisingly, given the Red Devils' interest, it is indeed, as the 26-year-old emerges victorious in the majority of relevant metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, passes and crosses into the box, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions, tackles won, successful take-ons and aerial duels, all per 90.
Now, the United ace does come out ahead for blocks and interceptions, but it's not by an unreasonable amount, and considering how he compares in practically every other metric, it's very much a consolation.
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Ultimately, while Wan-Bissaka has been a useful player for the Red Devils over the years and is certainly good enough to play in the Premier League, Mazraoui looks to be the far superior modern-day full-back, and the fact that he's agreed to join the club should excite the fans.
