Manchester United agree £30m deal for midfielder, green light given for medical - Report
Manchester United have reportedly agreed on a £30 million deal to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
Football Insider reports that there was a breakthrough in negotiations between the Red Devils and the Serie A side last night (August 30). The Moroccan has been given the green light to undergo a medical after a long-running saga that may have finally come to a solution.
Manchester United and Fiorentina are reported to have agreed on a £30 million deal for the 27-year-old. Erik ten Hag's Reds had tried signing the midfielder on loan but Viola refused loan enquiries only wanting to sell the player.
Amrabat has a year left on his contract with Vincenzo Italiano's side but had been training away from the squad amid speculation of a transfer. He has been eager to reunite with Ten Hag at Old Trafford having played under the Dutch tactician at Eredivisie side FC Utrecht. Personal terms were already weeks ago ahead of the potential deal, per Italian journalist Alfedo Pedulla.
Manchester United look to finally be getting a much-yearned-for holding midfielder and one that has emerged as their priority in the second half of the transfer window.
Amrabat was in fine form last season, playing 49 times across competitions for Fiorentina, providing one assist. He completed 1323 passes, carried the ball forward 1054 times, and made 176 progressive passes, per StatmanDave.
This bodes well for Ten Hag as his side have been overwhelmed in midfield in the early stages of the season. The Morocco international will also arrive with proven experience having been key for his national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He was a standout performer in Qatar, playing in all eight of Morocco's games. His performances helped the Atlas Lions become the first African nation to reach the tournament's semifinals.
Sofyan Amrabat gave a glowing verdict on his time playing under Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
Amrabat's early development came under Ten Hag at FC Utrecht where he was growing into one of Dutch football's most admired midfielders. His energy and passing range had earned plaudits and this merged well with Ten Hag's playing style.
The Moroccan spoke highly of his time spent playing under the current Manchester United boss at Stadion Galgenwaard. He told The Athletic earlier this year
"He made a plan for me. He asked me about my strong points and what I wanted to improve. From the first day, he was busy with me. Not only me, all the players."
Amrabat continued by alluding to the specific man-management style Ten Hag possesses, particularly his attention to detail:
"A lot of coaches are busy in general with the team but he put a lot of time into individual work because he knew if the individual was better the team would be better. After every game, he would take me through a video and explain everything to me."
The Moroccan made 50 appearances under Ten Hag, scoring one goal and providing 10 assists. He left Utrecht in 2017 when he joined Feyenoord but could be reunited with his former manager at Manchester United six years later.