Sofyan Amrabat appears to be destined for a move to Old Trafford, with Man Utd reported to be the only club taking concrete steps to sign the Fiorentina star.
Barcelona were heavily linked with Morocco’s World Cup hero in January and even convinced the player to move to Camp Nou, but the La Liga club failed to meet Fiorentina’s demands. In the summer, the Blaugrana opted to sign Oriol Romeu instead to fill Sergio Busquets’ void in the middle of the park.
Another Spanish side, Atletico Madrid have shown interest in the 26-year-old during the summer transfer window, but it’s claimed there’s a belief the combative midfielder has already agreed to reunite with Erik ten Hag in Manchester. The duo worked together at FC Utrecht before the Dutch coach’s Ajax move in 2017.
Now, Italian newspaper La Nazione (via Fiorentina.it) are claiming that Amrabat’s future is ‘tied to England’. They write that United are set to make a move for the Morocco international by tabling an offer of 25 million euros (£21.4m), including bonuses.
However, there remains an extremely close gap in valuation between the two sides, as Serie A outfit want around 30 million euros (£25.8m) for their key player. Amrabat was the stand out performer under Vincenzo Italiano in the Florence based club’s run to the UEFA Conference League final last term.
Whether United up their bid for the former FC Utrecht midfielder might depend on multiple scenarios, including the future of Scott McTominay. Amrabat is viewed as a potential cover for Casemiro – the role that is currently occupied by the Scottish midfielder.
As per Sky Sports, West Ham are interested in McTominay and have formally approached United to understand his situation. Interestingly, they also set their sights on Amrabat, but as per the Fiorentina man’s brother, he has no interest in joining the Hammers.
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Manchester United are now entering the final stage of pre-season, with Erik ten Hag’s men facing Lens and Athletic Club ahead of turning attention to the Premier League season.
The Red Devils have been busy in the summer so far, landing Mason Mount and Andre Onana, while Rasmus Hojlund will almost certainly join that list. There could yet be further arrivals, but United are going to need to trim their squad before the summer window is over and done with, with Financial Fair Play also a very real concern.
Amrabat is said to be the natural replacement for Scott McTominay, who is likely to leave the club this summer, and the Daily Mirror say a £26million deal is close to being agreed. Amrabat’s stock has been high since his performances for Morocco at the World Cup last winter, and he could form part of a double pivot for Ten Hag this season, while he would otherwise be a back-up for Casemiro.
