Mazraoui admits Casemiro departure left him gutted

Morocco international Noussair Mazraoui has discussed a range of issues including reports Casemiro will leave Manchester United at the end of the season.

Casemiro will depart Old Trafford at the end of the 2025-26 season upon the expiry of his contract, as confirmed in January 2026.

The way Noussair Mazraoui signs his signature for this reseller. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/QcIUNV8oNB

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) March 3, 2026

The club opted against triggering a one-year extension, marking the end of his four-year tenure. He is expected to depart on a free transfer, with potential moves to MLS (Inter Miami), Saudi Arabia, or Brazil being discussed.

‘It was a sad day’

Asked whether he will be sad to see Casemiro leaving, Mazraoui told Man United website: “Yeah, really sad. I think the announcement, when I saw it, was like… it was a sad day.

“He brings experience, like crazy. He knows how it is to win. He knows how it is, also, the road to win, because he has done it, he has lived it. So, yeah, we’re going to miss him a lot in the team, outside of the pitch, inside the pitch, of course.”

He added: “One moment which just pops into my mind, he’s like, in the game, he’s really focused, of course, disciplined and everything. He wants to win every minute of the game. I think one time it was final whistle; we won that game.

“We won the ball back at the right-back spot and he was there as well to support, and I think he had the ball. The referee whistled and then he gave me a panna, a nutmeg, at the end of the game and started laughing and I started laughing! But yeah, that’s how he is. He’s like joking but also a really, really great guy.”

Hakim Ziyech influenced him most

On which players influenced him most, he said: “I think Hakim Ziyech, when I arrived to the first team in Ajax, and Zakaria Labyad. Those two, of course, are from Morocco. So, they helped me a lot when I was younger and came through the first team.”

He added on players with impact in his life: “I think also Hakim Ziyech because I’ve played for three, four years with him, so that’s a really long time.

“And I think my time in Germany was maybe too short, but if I have to say somebody there, I think it’s Thomas Muller. He’s a legendary guy, of course, a legendary player. So yeah, these two.”

On what Man United want to achieve at the end of the season, the Atlas Lion said: “Well, personal goals, of course, to play good games, to end the season well, and of course, as a team, to be in European places at the end of the season.

“That’s a big goal for us, to start coming in a flow of what we’ve done lately and to keep that going.”

Born in the Netherlands, Mazraoui has represented Morocco at youth and senior international level. He has made more than 40 appearances for the senior national team since making his debut in September 2018.

He was a member of the Morocco squad that reached the semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.