Amid claims that Erik ten Hag and company are preparing an offer for one important midfield target, it appears as though Manchester United are in for a hectic 48 hours or so with deals still presumably in the works.
Will Manchester United add any more players?
The latest information is that Andre Onana, Mason Mount, and Rasmus Hojlund, who were already signed by the Red Devils earlier this summer, will be joined by Turkish custodian Altay Bayindir and Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella at Old Trafford.
The Premier League heavyweights are also expected to make a move for Sofyan Amrabat of Fiorentina, who has just one year left on his contract and is reportedly holding out for a move to Manchester, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The transfer insider revealed on Twitter that Manchester United was planning a formal offer for longtime target Sofyan Amrabat. Only casual chats were sent to Fiorentina; no loan proposition was. Fiorentina might be willing to take out a loan, but there may be a buy-in requirement. Sofyan has been anticipating Man Utd since June.
What role might Sofyan Amrabat play at Manchester United?
It would seem that Ten Hag is still determined to strengthen in the centre of the field, especially after seeing Fred leave for Fenerbahce and with Donny van de Beek seemingly on the way, despite having already hired the aforementioned Mount and giving the Englishman the club’s renowned number seven shirt.
Since pursuing Frenkie de Jong all summer long, it could be argued that the former Ajax manager has never really found the kind of midfielder he has been craving. Christian Eriksen and Mount are both arguably more attack-minded playmakers who have been converted to deep-lying options.
As a result, Amrabat joining the team would be the Dutch tactician’s “dream scenario,” with Statman Dave claiming that the Moroccan international is “perfectly suited to Ten Hag’s Man Utd” after having previously played for FC Utrecht under the United manager.
The 6 foot 1 rock made a name for himself during that time in the Netherlands by amassing 10 assists in just 50 games while playing for 10 Hag, demonstrating the creative outlet he could offer at the base of the midfield or beside Casemiro.
The former Club Brugge star’s biggest assets may be his ball-playing skills and his ability to think strategically. According to FBref, he ranks in at least the top 2% of players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion, attempted passes, and progressive passes per 90.
The fact that De Jong, the current Barcelona talisman, ranks in the top 4% for all three of those criteria suggests that Ten Hag may have finally found the calm, composed midfield metronome that his team is begging for.
Amrabat is in the top 26% of players who are capable of making an impact in the final third, even though he may not be nearly as skilled at moving forward from deep as the Dutchman, who ranks in the top 3% for advanced carries.
Given the player’s evident eagerness to go, this is undoubtedly a trade that “should have been done before the season kicked off,” as Statman Dave hinted, but all the evidence points to a skill that may make the wait worthwhile.
Leave a Reply