Since Morocco’s magical World Cup journey, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has been linked to many clubs, including Manchester United.
For a reasonable fee of around £25 million, the 26-year-old could easily be prised away from his current club Fiorentina with personal terms not expected to be an issue.
But is Sofyan Amrabat as good as he’s made out to be?
Amrabat is a deep-lying midfielder who sits just in front of his defensive line. He is comfortable carrying the ball into space, but his talent is progressing the ball forward with passes, especially when he has the time to do so against low-block teams. He makes 7.83 progressive passes per game, ranking him in the top 8% of European midfielders in this area. Not only does he attempt a lot of passes (67 a game to be precise), but he also has a very high completion rate at 89%. He is also in the top 1% for long-range passes completed.
This is highlighted when his side plays with wingers who hug the touchline, spreading the opposition defence and allowing Amrabat to find an advanced player to pass to. A lot of the time, the forward will receive the ball with his back to goal, meaning United would need to sign a striker who can play this way.
Off the ball, Amrabat doesn’t stop running. It was particularly noticeable during the gruelling win against Spain in the World Cup. Amrabat’s ability to sprint and make last-ditch tackles late in the game is second to none, however he doesn’t shy away from a foul. Though he tackles 55% of dribblers who attempt to get past him, ranking in the top 16%, when they do get past him he often resorts to the tactical foul to break up the play.
A lot of this stems from his passion for the game, and whilst it cannot be put into statistics, it’s a vital quality to have as a player for Manchester United – a willingness to put everything on the line for the badge.
Another thing to note is that Amrabat has played under Erik ten Hag in the past, with the Dutchman managing the midfielder for two years during their time at Utrecht.
Though a midfield arrival such as Amrabat is unlikely to happen until later in the window due to other priorities, the Moroccan seems the most likely, with a sale of Scott McTominay or Fred likely to directly fund the transfer.
With United playing in four competitions next year, three top-class midfielders simply won’t be enough, especially with Casemiro’s discipline meaning he missed a quarter of United’s games last year. Because of this, and Amrabat’s value for money, the midfielder is definitely one to watch.
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