MIRROR
Manchester United are interested in signing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat – the World Cup star Jurgen Klopp was after.
Amrabat, 26, was one of the standout players at last year’s tournament in Qatar, helping Morocco become the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. He has just one year remaining on his contract and could be available for €30million (£26m).
Liverpool were heavily linked with Amrabat in December, as Klopp tried to solve his midfield crisis. It’s claimed the Reds boss even attended a meeting with the player’s representatives to persuade him to move to Merseyside, but a deal did not proceed.
Liverpool have since signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to bolster their midfield, giving United the chance to swoop for Amrabat. It’s claimed the Red Devils have already agreed personal terms with the midfielder, with only a transfer fee left to sort.
As relayed by Fiorentina.it, Italian newspaper La Nazione claims Fiorentina want at least €30m for Amrabat’s services. That is affordable for United, who have shelled out £60m to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea. Confirmation of that deal is expected shortly.
Amrabat played under Erik ten Hag at Utrecht after graduating from the Dutch club’s academy. The midfielder prospered under Ten Hag’s management, winning the Eredivisie Player of the Month award in November 2017. Ten Hag joined Ajax the following month.