Galatasaray’s vice-president Erden Timur has revealed that the Turkish club almost reached an agreement to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat before Manchester United’s late approach.
The Moroccan star was linked with a move to Old Trafford throughout the recent transfer window, and Man United finally agreed to sign him on loan with an option to buy on deadline day in England. Speaking to reporters (via CNN Turk), Timur has now disclosed that Galatasaray ‘largely agreed’ a deal with Amrabat, and they were close to landing him.
However, the scenario completely changed after United made a late swoop for his signature. As per Timur, Amrabat turned down advances from big clubs and waited for Galatasaray, but a move didn’t happen in the end.
He said: “We largely agreed with Sofyan Amrabat. With Fiorentina, we were at a level where we could reach a point. Manchester United came on Wednesday evening and as the player has said before, his former manager was also there… He rejected the big teams and waited for us, but it didn’t happen.”
Good deal
United waited for the right time to pounce on Amrabat’s signature. With their Financial Fair Play situation, they could not afford a permanent transfer, but managed to find a solution by paying a higher loan fee of £8.6 million. United can turn his stay into a long-term one next summer for £17 million plus £4.2 million in add-ons.
The 27-year-old can play in the number 6 and number 8 positions, but he has become more accustomed to the former of those roles. After his success with Fiorentina and Morocco in recent times, Amrabat may feel he can fight for the defensive midfield spot at United. Casemiro is already 31 and no longer in the peak of his career.
The ex-Real Madrid man has been inconsistent fitness and performance wise this season. Amrabat could initially take time to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, but once he is fully settled, he should fancy his prospects of becoming a consistent starter for United under manager Erik ten Hag, who he worked with at Utrecht.
