Málaga eyeing England to strengthen their squad

Málaga Club de Fútbol

The interest from Málaga in Aznou was not new, as the Blanquiazul side had been tracking the Moroccan full-back for some time and has taken advantage of this final stretch of the transfer window to complete his arrival, after two weeks of negotiations with Everton. With this deal, the club considers the left-back position settled, a spot that has been vacant since the departure of Dani Sánchez.

Málaga get the better of German offers

Last season, Everton paid around 9 million euros to secure his services from Bayern Munich, but the Moroccan's campaign in the Premier League was disappointing as he did not feature in any match for the first team. With a lack of playing time, Aznou was looking for a way out to add minutes, and he had offers from Germany. However, the player prioritised at all times his return to Spain after spells with Valladolid and Barcelona's youth setup, a route that Málaga took advantage of to convince him with their project and complete the loan.

A strong alternative on the left flank

With this addition, the Blanquiazul side would effectively close the left-back position for the rest of the season, in a market where they continue to work on strengthening the pivot and the left-sided centre-back.

360-degree turnaround in Málaga's full-back positions 

Despite the emergence of Salinas in pre-season, Rafita seemed to have won the battle for the left flank thanks to his good performances, especially against Deportivo de A Coruña at La Rosaleda, where, as well as his solid defensive work, he also stood out in the attacking area, including forcing a penalty in the home side's favour. However, the arrival of Aznou changes the picture as everything points for now to Aznou and Salinas being the ones to share the left, while Puga and Rafita himself will fight for the right, a flank where the player from Vélez can also be a joker thanks to his versatility to play on both sides.