Ten Hag charms £26m target after Klopp failed to sell Liverpool dream
Manchester United are interested in signing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat - the World Cup star Jurgen Klopp was after.
Amrabat, 26, was one of the standout players at last year's tournament in Qatar, helping Morocco become the first African country to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup. He has just one year remaining on his contract and could be available for €30million (£26m).
Liverpool were heavily linked with Amrabat in December, as Klopp tried to solve his midfield crisis. It's claimed the Reds boss even attended a meeting with the player's representatives to persuade him to move to Merseyside, but a deal did not proceed.
Liverpool have since signed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to bolster their midfield, giving United the chance to swoop for Amrabat. It's claimed the Red Devils have already agreed personal terms with the midfielder, with only a transfer fee left to sort.
As relayed by Fiorentina.it, Italian newspaper La Nazione claims Fiorentina want at least €30m for Amrabat's services. That is affordable for United, who have shelled out £60m to sign Mason Mount from Chelsea. Confirmation of that deal is expected shortly.
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Amrabat played under Erik ten Hag at Utrecht after graduating from the Dutch club's academy. The midfielder prospered under Ten Hag's management, winning the Eredivisie Player of the Month award in November 2017. Ten Hag joined Ajax the following month.
Erik ten Hag is hoping to beat Jurgen Klopp to Amrabat's signature (Getty Images)Who do you think Manchester United should sign this summer? Let us know in the comments below!
Amrabat's brother Nordin claimed the United target is "charmed" by Ten Hag during an interview with ESPN last month. The former Watford man said: "He is doing well at Fiorentina. You are not going to trade Italy for the middle bracket of the Premier League.
"My brother is 26 years old; he wants to go to the top. Of course, you never know, it [Saudi Arabia] will be a strong competition when you see which names are going. But my brother now has the intention to play in the top, preferably in Spain or England, I think.
“I think in January [United showed interest]. But Ten Hag is now looking for a striker, he wants that first. From there he will see what is possible. But I know that Ten Hag is charmed by my brother, he broke through under him. And they have a good relationship, so who knows."
Amrabat has played for Feyenoord, Club Brugge, Hellas Verona and now Fiorentina since his breakthrough at Utrecht, making 250 club appearances to date. Yet it was his performances at the World Cup in Qatar which really caught the eye.
According to Foot Mercato, Klopp met with Amrabat's representatives to discuss a deal. It's believed the player's preference in January was a move to Atletico Madrid to play under "aggressive" manager Diego Simeone, but nothing has materialised so far.
Amrabat said: "What Simeone does, what he achieved… He coached Atletico Madrid for many years. I like his style of play. He won a lot and I have a lot of respect for him. The players on your team are physically strong and aggressive. I like to play that way."
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