Mega Man United flop tipped to join Premier League rival despite disastrous Old Trafford stint
Mason Mount, Sofyan Amrabat
Sofyan Amrabat’s dream of joining Manchester United permanently looks to be over but Premier League interest is reportedly brewing for the Fiorentina loanee.
The Morocco international caught the attention of a host of clubs off the back of his stellar performances for his country in their semi-final run to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
After much speculation over his next move, the energetic defensive midfielder ended up joining Man Utd on a season-long loan last September for a fee of £8.5m – with the deal containing an option to buy for just over £21m.
Things seemed to be working out well for the versatile Moroccan early on and he mooted the idea of a permanent transfer to Old Trafford.
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Back in late September, following United’s 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace, Amrabat said: “I don’t think about that [a permanent move].
“For me, today, I am a Manchester United player. The only thing I can do is every day to give everything that I have, to do my best, to try to help the team.
“I hope we have a fantastic season, I hope we can win something and then later we will see what will happen. Of course, I would love to stay here, but that’s not important for me. I don’t look too far into the future.”
However, fast forward to the present and the 27-year-old can barely get a game for the Red Devils. Since early February, he has made zero starts and has chalked up just 45 minutes of action. Plus, the majority of his 25 appearances came in the first half of the season.
Fulham step up for Amrabat
While Amrabat’s time at United is coming to an end, thanks in no small part to the rise of Kobbie Mainoo under manager Erik ten Hag, it looks like he may have an offer to stay in the Premier League.
According to Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb, Fulham have a chance to secure his services this summer, with Fiorentina eager to offload the former Club Brugge man.
The report adds the Italian side want approximately £13m for their utility player, who has also been ‘offered’ to Juventus and AC Milan.
However, Fulham were reportedly prepared to offer double that amount, so striking a deal somewhere in between those two fees should not be a big problem.
The Cottagers may be resigned to losing defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha, with the 27-year-old valued at £60m by Marco Silva’s side. Therefore, Amrabat could be a solid, if unspectacular, replacement for the Portugal international.