Once again, Hannibal Mejbri’s conduct is under scrutiny, potentially thwarting his chances of securing a summer transfer away from Manchester United.
Mejbri departed United for Sevilla on loan during the January transfer window, seeking more playing time after struggling under Erik ten Hag. Among the 13 players who departed United mid-season, he aimed to make an impact in La Liga.
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However, Mejbri, the Tunisian international, has encountered setbacks. Despite his aspirations, the 21-year-old has only managed 36 minutes of play across all competitions.
His most recent appearance was as a substitute, playing just eight minutes against Rayo Vallecano on February 5th.
Hannibal’s loan agreement includes an option for Sevilla to secure his services permanently for approximately £15 million, yet Estadio Deportivo reports that such a scenario is currently unlikely.
Issues surrounding Hannibal’s behavior have arisen, leading to a rift with manager Quique Sanchez Flores, as highlighted by complaints from Sevilla’s coaching staff.
This isn’t the first instance where Hannibal’s temperament has hindered his career progression.
In May 2022, he was involved in a training ground altercation with United defender Alex Telles during Ralf Rangnick’s tenure, preceding Ten Hag’s arrival.
Despite Hannibal’s undeniable talent, demonstrated by his impressive goal against Brighton this season, concerns persist regarding his conduct. Flores expressed dissatisfaction after Hannibal’s debut against Girona.
“After being with him, talking to him and having seen his first minutes in Girona, we are going to give him the necessary space to understand where he is, that he is at Sevilla and what it means,” he said pointedly.
“He has to know where he is and we want to see him. We have spoken with him and we believe that he has to have some time to learn, we wanted to give him space, time for him to see things from the outside and then he will return to the squad. In the end they are kids who have come and suddenly land in a huge club like Sevilla in circumstances of maximum demand.
“And they need a bit of location. And that location may be seen better from the outside than from the inside. You should take a step to understand what we want. Let’s see if the boy applies himself and I think that in the end he will understand perfectly what we want.”
Hannibal joined United from Monaco for £9.3 million in 2019, and his contract extends until the summer of 2025. Despite impressing with the club’s under-21s, he has only featured 13 times for the United first team.
After a loan spell with Birmingham City in the Championship last season, there were expectations of his maturity development. However, judging by his initial experiences in Seville, it appears he still has considerable progress to make in that regard.
