AC Milan’s Ruben Amorim Has Another Manchester United Target in Mind and It’s Not Amad or Ugarte

Ruben Amorim hasn’t given up on raiding his old team. After failing to land Manuel Ugarte and Amad this summer, the new AC Milan manager has set his sights on a different Manchester United player: Noussair Mazraoui.

According to journalist Matteo Moretto, Amorim holds the Moroccan in high regard. That’s not new information for anyone who watched Amorim’s brief, turbulent run at Old Trafford. He likes versatile players who can handle multiple positions without losing quality. Mazraoui fits that description cleanly.

The Ugarte and Amad situations fell through

Earlier this window, Amorim wanted to reunite with Ugarte, the defensive midfielder he coached at both Sporting CP and United. INEOS was reportedly open to it for the right price. But Ugarte picked up an injury during the World Cup, and that cooled things down. For now, he stays in Manchester.

Then came Amad. The winger was one of the few bright spots under Amorim’s tenure. But Michael Carrick, now in charge at Middlesbrough, shut that down fast. And Amad himself has no interest in going back to Italy at this point in his career. So that door is closed.

Mazraoui makes sense for both sides

Moretto made it clear there are no active negotiations between the clubs right now. “Noussair Mazraoui is one of Amorim’s favourites,” Moretto said. “As of now there are no negotiations underway, there’s no direct contact between the clubs. But what I can tell you is that certainly Mazraoui, who is 28 years old and also has a contract expiring in 2028 with an option, is a player highly regarded by Amorim. Let’s see if he is targeted by Milan later in the window.”

Here’s the thing about Mazraoui. He’s naturally a right back, but he can play left back too. He did exactly that for Morocco during the World Cup, serving as Luke Shaw’s understudy on the left side and looking good doing it. United still haven’t signed a left-back this summer, so there’s a decent chance he’s needed on that side again next season.

United will play in four competitions. There will be minutes on both flanks for the former Ajax man, provided he stays healthy. That’s always the question with him — durability. He’s had his share of injuries over the years.

If INEOS decides to strengthen the defense further — and rumors keep circling around Borussia Dortmund’s Julian Ryerson — then Mazraoui could become available. But right now, he’s still a United player, and Amorim is just watching from Milan.