BREAKING: Erik Ten Hag has told Man united management that he will love to work with £50M rated ‘generational superstar’ even after completing Mason Mount deal-Man United are ready to back the manager
Manchester United have reportedly agreed on personal terms with Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
Are Man United signing Sofyan Amrabat?
The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have seemingly made midfield an area they want to add to this summer, with Mason Mount looking likely to become the first major Old Trafford signing ahead of the 2023/24 season.
The England international is poised to join from Chelsea after a deal was struck that will see Man United pay an initial £55m plus £5m in add-ons for the player. Mount was at Carrington on Monday for a medical, and it looks as if United are now moving onto the next potential addition in the middle of the pitch in Amrabat.
Sport Witness relayed an update from Italy over the past 48 hours regarding Man United and Amrabat. They claimed that the Red Devils are strongly interested in the Morocco international and have already reached an ‘economic agreement’ with the player, which is seemingly to do with personal terms.
The report adds that Atletico Madrid are also keen and like Mount, Amrabat has just 12 months remaining on his contract, with Fiorentina wanting at least €30m to part ways this summer.
Who is Sofyan Amrabat?
Amrabat is 26 years of age and is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play in a central role if needed. He has been on the books with Fiorentina since 2020 and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation.
Hailed as a “monster” by broadcaster Carlo Garganese, Amrabat, who shares the same agency as Man United left-back Luke Shaw, has made 107 appearances for Fiorentina, scoring just once. Prior to his time in Italy, Amrabat began his career in the Netherlands with FC Utrecht before moving to Feyenoord and then to Belgium with Club Brugge.
He has also been praised by former England manager Fabio Capello for his displays at last year’s World Cup in Qatar which saw Morocco reach the semi-finals, with the Italian describing Amrabat as a ‘great runner’ and the ‘Gennaro Gattuso of Morocco’.
“If I have to name one name, besides the well-known Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, it would be Amrabat. He is essential for balance and a great runner. I read that he covered more than fourteen kilometres against Spain. I see him as the Gennaro Gattuso of Morocco.”
Should he make the move to Manchester over the coming weeks, Amrabat could bring plenty of control to Ten Hag’s midfield. As per FBref, the Moroccan ranks extremely high for his passing ability. He is in the top 1% of midfielders for long passes completed, top 2% for medium passes completed, top 5% for overall pass completion percentage and top 8% for passes into the final third.
Therefore, should he move to Old Trafford, you’d expect he could potentially rival Casemiro in defensive midfield or turn out slightly further forward, and with Mount set to sign, United’s midfield ranks could soon be increasing even further.
