28 July 2023 , 21:30
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Manchester United are considering a £30million move for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat - but only if they can offload some of their squad.
After signing Mason Mount and Andre Onana for £107million, United are focusing on recruiting a striker, with Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund top of their shortlist. United are closing in on a £60m deal for Hojlund and will then consider whether a move for Amrabat is viable – if they can sell some fringe players.
Erik ten Hag is working with a net budget of around £120m, but United can increase their spending power by jettisoning players who are not wanted. United have already banked around £20m from the sales of Anthony Elanga and Alex Telles, who have joined Nottingham Forest and Al Nassr respectively.
Eric Bailly, Dean Henderson, Fred and Donny van de Beek have also been told they can leave, while United will consider selling Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay for the right money.
West Ham have been told they must pay £40m for Scotland midfielder McTominay, 26, who has two years left on his current contract. United sources have confirmed defensive midfielder Amrabat, a key member of Morocco's side that reached the World Cup semi-finals, is on their shortlist.
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Ten Hag worked with Amrabat when he was in charge of Dutch side Utrecht, promoting him from the academy to the first-team. Meanwhile, Diogo Dalot is determined to kick on and help Manchester United fulfil what he calls their responsibility to be successful after committing his long-term future to the club.
A decade has now passed since the Red Devils won their 20th league title, with the resulting post-Sir Alex Ferguson era full of ups, downs and too little silverware.
Sofyan Amrabat is wanted by Manchester United (Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)Dalot is now under his fifth either permanent or interim manager since joining United from Porto in 2018 but Erik ten Hag’s promising first season suggests the club are back on track.
The meticulous Dutchman has changed style and mindset at a club that are desperate to push on from their third-placed Premier League finish and Carabao Cup triumph.
“(Last season) brings us momentum, energy as well, to look back on what we did last year,” Dalot told the PA news agency. “It has to bring us energy to build even more, to raise the bar a little bit higher.
“I think we have all the conditions to give a little bit more and plus, so we can even get better from what we did last year. It doesn’t fully (reflect) on the entire success that this football club works for and deserves.
“Like our manager said, we see it as progress, a little step forward. Obviously playing two finals, winning a trophy, being up there competing for the Premier League, that’s where we want to aim.
“We know that it’s difficult, we have a lot of teams to compete (against), but we are Man United, so we have to look (at) that not as a motivation but as a responsibility to fulfil the objectives of this club.”