Italian giants Juventus have expressed interest in signing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat – who is on loan at Manchester United this season, according to Italian publication Calciomercato.
The Red Devils signed Amrabat last summer on a 12-month loan deal and have an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season for a fee of around £21.4m.
It’s still unclear whether United plan to exercise that option as Amrabat hasn’t had the best of times on loan in Manchester. But, if Man Utd do plan to sign the Moroccan permanently, they could face competition as the report says Juventus are keen on signing the midfielder.
Amrabat represents the long crop of players who shot to the limelight with their performance in the World Cup. Despite not doing much at the club level for Fiorentina, Man Utd thought signing the Moroccan would be a shrewd investment.
Right now, Erik ten Hag & co. would be thanking their stars for the fact that this was a loan signing, and not a permanent one last summer. It did not come cheap though, with United paying a loan fee of around £8.5m, which in their current financial predicament is easily avoidable.
A flash in the pan?
The 27-year-old Moroccan midfielder has played 22 times for Man Utd across all competitions this season, failing to register a single goal or assist. Most of his appearances have been off the bench and he has even had to deputise at left-back sometimes.
Juventus are looking at Amrabat as a potential replacement for Adrien Rabiot, should the Frenchman leave the club in the summer. Considering how things have panned out so far, it seems unlikely that Man Utd will trigger their buy option.
The emergence of Kobbie Mainoo and his breakthrough into the first team has been a blessing in disguise for Man Utd and Erik ten Hag this season. The only loser – Sofyan Amrabat. If not for the England U21’s impressive and almost undroppable performances, maybe the Moroccan might have gotten more opportunities to prove himself.
At this point, Amrabat in a United jersey seems like a short-lived dream and an expensive one for the club. The loan fee is not ideal for a player who has hardly featured but it is what it is. This association, that promised the stars has played out more like a failed marriage and it’s time United give Juventus a free run at the midfielder, in the summer.
