“His desire is to play in Spain” - Manchester United target is high on Barcelona’s shortlist, confirms brother
Manchester United target Sofyan Amrabat is still on Barcelona's radar, claims his brother, Nordin. He ruled out a move to West Ham United but stated that a lot more clubs are interested in the midfielder.
Barcelona and Manchester United have been chasing Amrabat since his impressive performances at the FIFA World Cup. He has been in fine form for Fiorentina as well, but the Serie A side did not want to loan him out in the winter window.
Speaking to ESPN, Nordin ruled out a move to West Ham United, who are looking for a Declan Rice replacement. However, he hinted at a move to Barcelona and said:
"Sofyan to West Ham? No, he wants to go to the top and his desire is to play in Spain. At Barcelona, he is high on the list but you know Barça’s financial situation. There are more clubs interested in Sofyan."
SPORT have linked Amrabat to Chelsea and Arsenal too, as they continue their hunt for a midfielder. The Fiorentina midfielder played all seven matches at the World Cup and helped Morocco reach the semi-final, where they lost to France.
Barcelona and Manchester United tried to sign Sofyan Amrabat in January
Sofyan Amrabat’s agent, Mohamed Sinouh, has admitted that Fiorentina rejected bids from Barcelona and Manchester United in the January window. Both clubs were looking to sign the midfielder on loan with an option to buy.
Speaking to CalcioMercato, Sinouh stated that Fiorentina did not believe they would not get the best value for the midfielder. He said:
“We received many offers during the January transfer window, including one from Manchester United, but an agreement cannot be reached. Barça? The president of Fiorentina refused to let him out because he represented a safe value after the role he had played in the World Cup.”
He added:
"Barca came with a loan offer for Sofyan two or three days before the market closed, but they were unable to include a compulsory purchase option and that was the end of it. Sofyan was very keen to go to Barca and very hopeful that the whole operation could happen because the 'Cules' did offer a good amount for the loan, but Fiorentina did not let him go."
Sinouh continued:
"I can name three clubs that went for him in the last two or three days of the transfer window. Manchester United wanted a loan with an option to buy and Fiorentina turned it down."
Fiorentina finished runners-up in the Europa Conference League after losing 2-1 to West Ham United in the final on Wednesday. He joined from Hella Verona for €20 million in 2020 and has been a vital part of the starting XI.
He has made 100 appearances for the Serie A club in all competitions and has his contract expiring next summer. A sale is very likely, as the midfielder is not close to signing a new contract with the Italians.