Analysing the qualities Sofyan Amrabat would bring to Manchester United

 

Reports of Manchester United's desire to challenge Arsenal and Chelsea for Moises Caicedo suggests they are prepared to bring in another central midfielder this summer. Mason Mount is set to make the move to Old Trafford, while a striker is another port of call for the Carabao Cup winners, Rasmus Hojlund emerging as the number one striker target for the Erik ten Hag's side. 

 

Yet links with a move for Adrien Rabiot re-surfaced earlier this year up until he penned a new deal with Juventus, while the rumoured pursuit of Caicedo shows that United are at least considering their options in the middle of the park. And if reports are to be believed, then United have returned to Serie A in a bid to beef up their midfield. 

 

Sofyan Amrabat was one of the stars of the World Cup as Morocco surprisingly made the semi-finals at Qatar 2022. The video of Amrabat chasing down French speedster Kylian Mbappe, head flung back and making up the yards as if his life dependend on it before making a superb challenge to rob the PSG star of the ball, was iconic, and gave a very brief example of what he'd bring to potential suitors. 

 

Fiorentina are reluctant to lose the Morocco star, though a lack of European football next season means Amrabat may well be considering his options. Barcelona have been monitoring the 26-year-old for some time now, but their decision to turn their attention to Dani Parejo or Oriol Romeu following the capture of Ilkay Gundogan, benefits those in the running for Amrabat, namely United. 

 

Ten Hag already has a solid midfield base in Casemiro and Christian Eriksen at his disposal, and the pair are unlikely to be dropped unless suspension or injury rears its ugly head once more. Yet with United willing to listen to offers for Scott McTominay and Fred, then they need options in midfield. Additionally, both Casemiro and Eriksen are the wrong side of 30, while the possibility of competing on four fronts at any given time next season means United do need strength in depth, which explains the desire to bring in another central midfielder of Amrabat's ilk. 

 

What Ten Hag will find appealing about Amrabat is that he is able to blend both Casemiro's tenacity with Eriksen's distribution. The Moroccan averaged 1.7 tackles per 90 in Serie A last season, and was dribbled past an average of 0.6 times per 90, returning a modest tackle success rate of 75% in the process. Meanwhile, only Liam Henderson (3.1) committed more fouls per 90 than Amrabat (2.4) in Italy's top tier last term of those to make 25 or more appearances. 

 

The desire to get stuck in to break up play, and to disrupt the rhythm of opponents, is one that will sit well with supporters, and is a trait similar to Casemiro. Yes, this so often lands a player in this position in hot water - despite only starting 24 league matches, Amrabat was yellow-carded 11 times in Serie A last season, the joint-third most, while Casemiro was the only Premier League player to be sent off multiple times - but that is a risk ball winners take in their quest to shield the defence. 

 

And having proceeded to win the ball for his side, Amrabat combines that's with impressive vision to help pick out an opponent. Indeed, of the 248 players to attempt 50 or more long balls in Serie A last season, only Stanislav Lobotka (81.2%) returned a better long ball success rate than Amrabat (79.8%). The ability to pick out a teammate from range is crucial for a United outfit that so often played on the counter last season. 

 

 

Ten Hag's side returned a possession average of 53.8%, that the sixth highest in the Premier League, and developed a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of 'counter attacks'. This will be due to United scoring more counter attacking goals (9) than any other Premier League side last season. However, the player with the best long ball success rate for United was Bruno Fernandes (57.7%), with Casemiro (55.9%) and Eriksen (54.7%) placing second and third, respectively. Throw in a player with Amrabat's range of passing from deep, and the attackers will thrive. 

 

Amrabat has just 12 months left to run on his current Fiorentina deal, and the Viola will look at maximising his value this summer rather than lose him on a free next year. A €30m asking price has supposedly been set, and this could prove a bargain for a player who has really shot to prominence over the last 18 months. 

 

Considering Ten Hag favours a 4-2-3-1 system, he could prove a shrewd addition to bolster the Dutchman's options in a key area that would provide ideal cover for both Casemiro and Eriksen. With Mount joining imminently, and a striker set to follow suit, landing a player of Amrabat's skillset would continue United's impressive summer window.

Analysing the qualities Sofyan Amrabat would bring to Manchester United