There has been an update regarding Manchester United's pursuit of Fiorentina midfielder, Sofyan Amrabat…
What's the latest on Amrabat to Man United?
According to transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils are still pressing on in their desire to land the Moroccan international this summer, albeit with prior reports that a bid had been lodged for the 26-year-old having seemingly been "premature".
Writing on Twitter, the respected insider revealed: "Amrabat after friendly game: “I don’t know if I’m leaving… maybe I can stay here at Fiorentina”. Told there are no changes: Man Utd keep working on Amrabat and want him — but talks are on player side. No bid… yet.
"Reports about official bids last week were premature."
Read the latest [club] transfer news HERE…
While it would appear that an offer for the former Club Brugge ace has not yet been made by those at Old Trafford, the Daily Mail only recently reported that the 6 foot 1 maestro could cost in the region of £25m, having entered the final year of his contract in Florence.
How would Amrabat fit in at Man United?
While player sales may be needed prior to any deal for the Netherlands-born ace, it looks as if Fred could be on his way to Turkish giants, Galatasaray, while Donny van de Beek has caught the attention of La Liga outfit, Real Sociedad, thus ensuring that space could soon be available in the first-team squad at the Theatre of Dreams.
If Amrabat – who featured 50 times under Erik ten Hag during his prior stint at FC Utrecht – is to sign on the dotted line over the coming weeks, the Red Devils would be snapping up a combative and composed asset who could slot in nicely in the centre of the park.
Lauded as something of a "beast" by ESPN's Steve Nicol amid his strong form for his country at the World Cup last year, the £32k-per-week ace could potentially allow United's attacking talents to shine due to his defensive acumen, with Bruno Fernandes likely to be a notable beneficiary.
The latter man has been the undoubted creative hub for the Premier League side of late having created 32 big chances in the top-flight last season – more than any player in the division – proving himself a true master at providing quality service from his playmaking berth.
For the Portugal international to have a figure like Amrabat behind him could well prove to be a dream scenario, with the Fiorentina man having notably averaged 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game in Qatar as a sign of his knack for winning back possession – with that record not far off what Casemiro achieved in the league last season (4.4 tackles and interceptions per game).
Perhaps the 49-cap international's most notable attribute is his ball-playing quality from a deep-lying midfield berth, with that showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for pass completion, ensuring that the one-time Feyenoord man is not one to squander possession easily.
Equally, Amrabat could also be perfect for Fernandes due to his knack for playing incisive forward passes as he ranks in the top 8% for progressive passes, with that a sign that he regularly looks to find those ahead of him.
That could then benefit the United skipper – who previously joked about Fred's shortcomings on the ball, in contrast to former coach Michael Carrick – as he can regularly pick the ball up in dangerous areas to try and impact proceedings in the final third, with Ten Hag's chief chance creator likely to be able to do even more damage next season.
