Man Utd formulate cheeky plan to beat Liverpool to ‘top target’ Ten Hag has wanted all summer
Manchester United are reportedly ‘hoping’ to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat on loan as they look to avoid Financial Fair Play issues.
It’s no secret that Erik ten Hag is keen to bring in another midfielder before the transfer window closes on Friday and the 27-year-old has been at the top of his shortlist for some time.
Several options have been considered, though, with Bayern Munich star Ryan Gravenberch also of interest to Man Utd, as well as Liverpool.
Amrabat is still Ten Hag’s priority and he is thought to be open to joining Man Utd this summer. He has just one year remaining on his contract with Fiorentina, who have an option to extend by 12 months. Like with Gravenberch, Amrabat has also been linked with Liverpool this summer.
He has not been included in Fiorentina’s squad for their match against Rapid Wien on Thursday, suggesting a departure is increasingly likely.
Amrabat is considered to be one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. He caught the attention of several clubs after helping Morocco reach the World Cup semi-finals last year. He also made 29 appearances for Fiorentina in the Serie A last season.
He could arguably be exactly what Man Utd need to challenge for the Premier League title again, so it will be interesting to see if they can reach an agreement with Fiorentina.
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Man Utd push to sign Amrabat on loan
According to reputed transfer journalist David Ornstein, Man Utd are pushing to sign Amrabat on loan.
On Twitter, he wrote: “Man Utd working on a deal to sign Sofyan Amrabat. They hope to take Fiorentina midfielder on loan rather than permanent due to FFP.
“Ryan Gravenberch among other options but the Morocco international is their top target. The 27-year-old wants Old Trafford move.
Ornstein’s fellow Athletic journalist Carl Anka has explained why Amrabat would be the perfect signing for Ten Hag and Man Utd.
Anka wrote: “Amrabat would be an upgrade on Fred, an energetic ball-winner who can keep things ticking.
“The Moroccan is best as a box-to-box player but can serve as the deepest defensive midfielder when needed.
“There are flaws — his tackles often give away fouls and lead to yellow cards and his ambition to chase after players in possession can lead to tricky situations where he gets pulled out of position, but he fits what Ten Hag wants.
“The 27-year-old is the leading candidate, partially because he has worked with Ten Hag at Utrecht. He was used on the right of a midfield diamond for much of their final season together.
“The United manager has a preference for players he has worked with and Amrabat ticks all the major boxes of what United need.”
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Man Utd can convince Fiorentina into loaning Amrabat out.
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