24 August 2023 , 10:50
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Sofyan Amrabat is training alone at Fiorentina as the midfielder continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League.
The Morocco international is subject of interest from Manchester United, while Liverpool have pulled out of a deal to sign Amrabat this summer. United need to sell players to raise funds first, although time is running out before the transfer window slams shut next Friday.
West Ham had been in the conversation earlier this summer but David Moyes has since decided to bring in Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse instead. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian clubs had also been tracking Amrabat but the 27-year-old rejected the opportunity to move to the Middle-East.
Now, amid rumours circulating over a move to Old Trafford, Amrabat has been left out of Fiorentina's 24-man squad for their Europa Conference League play-off first-leg trip to Rapid Vienna. This is after Amrabat was an unused substitute during Fiorentina's 4-1 victory over Genoa last weekend.
Amrabat is also training alone from the rest of Vincenzo Italiano's squad, with Fiorentina handing the ex-Feyenoord midfielder a fresh deadline to make up his mind on his future. According to Corriere dello Sport, La Viola will give Amrabat until the close of play on Friday to decide on whether he will stay or not.
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Fiorentina would like to avoid a situation where they could enter the final few days of the transfer window scraping around for a replacement. If Amrabat does decide to leave by Friday's deadline, it will hand Fiorentina a week to bring someone else in, with Nico Dominguez their top target.
Sofyan Amrabat has been linked with a move to Manchester United (Getty Images)As for United, Erik ten Hag is hoping he can bring in another defensive midfielder to support Casemiro, who struggled during their 2-0 defeat at Tottenham last Saturday. The Red Devils have spent over £150million so far this summer in the form of Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund.
Amrabat is valued at around £30m, but Ten Hag must offload before he can add with Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek amongst those that could follow the likes of Fred, Anthony Elanga and Alex Telles out of the door. Amrabat is United's top target ahead of Everton's Amadou Onana.
There is no doubt why United want Amrabat, given his performances at the Qatar World Cup with Morocco as he helped his nation to a fourth-place finish. He also guided Fiorentina to the Conference League final in Prague, before they eventually lost out to West Ham.
Should a move go through, Ten Hag and Amrabat would be reunited after spending some time together at Utrecht at the start of the Moroccan's career. Speaking earlier this year, Amrabat praised the United boss: "It was my second year in the first-team. He made a plan for me. He asked me about my strong points and what I wanted to improve. From the first day, he was busy with me. Not only me, all the players.
"A lot of coaches are busy in general with the team but he put a lot of time into individual work because he knew if the individual was better the team would be better. After every game, he would take me through a video and explain everything to me.
"I was 18 or 19 years old, so sometimes I was thinking, 'Oof, again?' But now, when I look back, I know it was so important for my career. I learned such a lot from him."