Who is Sofyan Amrabat? The left-field midfield target on Tottenham's radar

 

Tottenham travelled to Florence with the expectations of supporters that they'd return with Dusan Vlahovic in tow. So to have gone to Italy to negotiate a deal for Sofyan Amrabat, it will feel like a underwhelming trip back to London if that deal comes to fruition. It's no secret that Spurs are looking to sign a new central midfielder before next week's deadline with Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso free to leave in the final knockings of the January window, yet few could have predicted Amrabat would be high on the club's wishlist. 

 

The 25-year-old has struggled for game time for Fiorentina this season, with just one of his 11 league appearances coming from the outset and the midfielder registering just 215 minutes of top-flight action. Links with a move to Spurs, then, came as a surprise as Fabio Paratici looks to maximise his Serie A contacts to improve the team. 

 

Currently at AFCON with Morocco, who have a very good chance at securing international glory following early exits for Ghana, Algeria and Nigeria, there is a possibility that Amrabat wouldn't be available for Spurs until the competition's final in early February anyway. Nevertheless, an issue for the north London side this season has been a lack of forward thrust from midfield. Ndombele and Lo Celso haven't won over Antonio Conte, while Alli has struggled for consistency since he exploded onto the scene in 2015. 

 

 

The trio would have suited the progressor role well with the right application, but at least in Amrabat, Conte would have a player capable of advancing the play from the middle of the park. Indeed, of the 39 players to have attempted 150 or more dribbles since the start of the 2019/20 Serie A season, only Ismael Bennacer (79.6%) has a better dribble success rate than Amrabat (70.3%). 

 

By comparison, the central midfielder who comes closest to matching that return of all Tottenham players in the Premier League this season is Oliver Skipp (66.7%), followed by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (62.2%). For additional context, Ndombele, who would, and perhaps should, be the one to carry out this duty, has returned a dribble success rate of just 55%. Different leagues and different managers who carry out different game plans would certainly impact the comparison, but Amrabat has proven he is capable at beating an opponent when required. 

 

On top of that, when he does need to spread the ball, Amrabat is an able performer at picking out a teammate from distance. Of the 97 players to have attempted 300 or more long balls in the last three Serie A seasons, only Fabian Ruiz (81.2%) and Marcelo Brozovic (78.7%) have a better long ball accuracy than Amrabat (76.7%). With Spurs also linked with a move for wing-wizard Adama Traore as a right wing-back alternative to Emerson Royal and Matt Doherty, the Morocco international should find great success in picking a pass to the wing for the Spaniard to run onto. 

 

Considering Spurs have at times looked to play a counter-attacking game under Conte, the 2-2 home draw with Liverpool an example, Amrabat could prove an ideal instigator in the middle of the park. He has a good range of passing and carries the ball well, two traits that have been found wanting in the Spurs midfield this season. 

 

That being said, off the ball Amrabat is better off leaving that side of the game to his teammates. He has committed more fouls (106) than he has made tackles (101) during his time in Italy's top tier, yet in a 3-5-2 setup, the ball winning would likely be left to Skipp and Hojbjerg, who both rank joint-fourth for tackles per 90 (2.2) of all Spurs regulars in the Premier League this season. 

 

Currently a key player in this Morocco side at AFCON, Amrabat could well do similar with Spurs. Yes, he is not the headline grabbing signing in the mould of Franck Kessie or Weston McKennie, the former not leaving AC Milan this window and entering the final months of his contract in Italy - perhaps part of the reasoning behind Spurs' move for Amrabat on loan until the end of the season - but in the January window where teams can be reluctant to offload players, the Fiorentina trash, relatively speaking, could prove Spurs' treasure in the second half of the season.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat? The left-field midfield target on Tottenham's radar