Manchester United managed to beat Barcelona to the signing of Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina on deadline day, according to Spanish outlet Sport via Manchester Evening News.
The report says the Blaugrana saw the Morocco international as a replacement for Sergio Busquets. At the end of June, the Spaniard left the La Liga giants to join Inter Miami after the expiration of his contract.
Barcelona wanted to sign Amrabat to bolster their engine room and the midfielder was keen on a move to the Catalan outfit. However, the report says Barca’s inability to complete a deal swiftly forced the midfielder to change his plans.
As a result, the Moroccan ended up joining Manchester United. Erik ten Hag knows the 27-year-old well as the two worked together for a brief period at FC Utrecht.
Amrabat signed for Fiorentina in the summer of 2020. He had been a consistent player for the Italian outfit over the years. However, the midfielder caught a lot of people’s attention in the previous campaign.
First, Amrabat enjoyed an excellent 2022 World Cup campaign with his national team. Walid Regragui’s side made it to the semi-finals. The midfielder also reached the UEFA Europa Conference League final with Fiorentina last season.
An exciting addition at United
United managed to beat off competition from Barca to sign Amrabat this summer and he’ll be a welcome addition. Ten Hag has primarily had to rely on Casemiro to play as a defensive midfielder at the Red Devils. Now, the Dutch manager has another quality option at his disposal.
Fred and Scott McTominay have also featured in the midfield pivot at United in recent seasons. However, the Brazilian left for Fenerbahce this summer. On the other hand, Ten Hag does not seem to trust the Scottish national.
Therefore, Amrabat’s signing makes sense. It will be interesting to see whether Ten Hag will pair him with Casemiro in the middle of the park or rotate the duo throughout the campaign.
