PL club agree £17m deal with Fiorentina for Manchester United target Sofyan Amrabat; player rejects chance to move - Reports
Manchester United's hopes of signing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat have been boosted after he rejected a move to Nottingham Forest.
Italian journalist Alfredo Pedulla reports that Forest had agreed on a £17 million deal with the Serie A side for Amrabat. However, the Moroccan turned down the move, as waits to join Erik ten Hag's Red Devils.
Pedulla's report comes following claims that Manchester United had a loan offer for the 27-year-old rejected, per Sky Sports' Gianluca Di Marzio. The Premier League giants now look to have fresh competition for the midfielder's signature and a club willing to buy him permanently.
Amrabat sits atop United's shortlist heading into the final days of the summer transfer window. The Morocco international had previously played under United manager Ten Hag at FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie.
The Fiorentina midfielder was a mainstay in Vincenzo Italiano's side last season as a midfield anchor. He featured 49 times across competitions, providing one assist. He completed 1323 passes, carried the ball forward 1054 times and made 176 progressive passes, per StatmanDave.
These numbers are the mold of a Ten Hag midfielder, but United are struggling to get a deal sorted. UEFA's financial regulations are proving problematic, as the Premier League giants spent over £200 million last summer.
Forest have now come into the equation, but Amrabat appears to desire a move to Old Trafford. He has been training away from the Fiorentina first team and is yet to feature for Viola this season. The Serie A side are standing firm on their willingness to only sell, as he has a year left in his contract.
Genoa join race for Manchester United's Donny van de Beek
According to Di Marzio, Serie A outfit Genoa have entered the race for Manchester United outcast Donny van de Beek. The Dutch midfielder has lacked game time at Old Trafford and is available this summer, but a loan move looks more likely.
Ligue 1 side FC Lorient have reportedly agreed a loan deal with United for Van de Beek. However, the 26-year-old is yet to agree terms on that deal, as desires a more ambitious club.
Van de Beek has made just 60 appearances across competitions since joining the Red Devils from Ajax in 2020. He has scored two goals and provided as many assists.
The Dutch midfielder has two years left in his contract and spent the second half of the 2021-22 campaign on loan at Everton. He returned from a serious knee injury in pre-season but is yet to feature for Ten Hag this season. His potential departure could be key to Amrabat's arrival at Manchester United.