Man Utd accelerate with bid for top midfield target due within 48 hours as Liverpool transfer rally continues
Manchester United will finally bid for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat either today or tomorrow, according to a report in Italy.
Amrabat has been the subject of interest from Liverpool and Man Utd this summer after entering the final year of his contract with Fiorentina. Each rival has appeared more likely than the other to sign him at various stages in a transfer saga that has felt like a long tennis rally.
Over the weekend, for example, Liverpool were said to have overtaken Man Utd in the race for Amrabat. Reports in Italy claimed they were preparing their bid for the Morocco international.
But fresh claims are implying that Man Utd have an offer in the pipeline for Amrabat as well. According to La Nazione, Man Utd will submit a bid to Fiorentina within the next 48 hours.
The size of their proposal has not been revealed, but it remains clear that Fiorentina’s asking price is between €25m and €30m (£21.4m to £25.7m).
After losing to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, Man Utd are accelerating their plans to add Amrabat to their midfield department. He previously played under Erik ten Hag for Utrecht.
Ten Hag has added Mason Mount to his midfield from Chelsea this summer, but perhaps needs extra support at the base of the department after selling Fred to Fenerbahce.
During the game against Tottenham, former Man Utd defender Gary Neville advised the club to sign cover for Casemiro.
“Casemiro looks lost in midfield in these first two matches,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
“What’s clear is that Manchester United’s midfield needs bolstering.
“Ten Hag wants a number six who can play alongside Casemiro and at the moment the club can’t get players out to be able to fund that.
“If they look at the first two weeks, they have to fund it or there will be big problems. What’s clear is that Ten Hag doesn’t want to revert back to Scott McTominay.
“With Bruno [Fernandes] on the right, the midfield looks all over the place and the front three doesn’t look capable of functioning as one.
“Does he go back to McTominay? Ten Hag has made five substitutions and not used him. It’s almost as if he is managing him out of the club.”
Fiorentina open to doing business for Amrabat
If finances allow, Man Utd could make Amrabat their next midfield reinforcement, giving him his first taste of Premier League action in the process.
Fiorentina CEO, Joe Barone, has opened the door to Amrabat’s exit by saying: “We are always ready for other entries and exits. If there is someone who’s not happy, we can satisfy them by the end of the market.”
Celebrating his 27th birthday today (Monday), Amrabat could be in line to leave Fiorentina after more than 100 appearances for the Serie A side.
He was a key player for Morocco at the World Cup over the winter and is now ready to take his game to new heights at club level too. By joining Man Utd, he could compete in the Champions League for the first time since he was at Club Brugge in 2018.
Alternatively, Liverpool could lift him up to Europa League level, but it remains to be seen whose bid will win them the transfer tug of war.
