The mounting injuries and the opening two games of the new Premier League season were a clear indicator that Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag needed support in the middle of the park.
Both new signing Mason Mount and academy breakthrough star Kobbie Mainoo are injured at the moment, while the manager’s tactics have seen Casemiro too isolated, allowing the opposition to counter at will.
Ten Hag had identified the need to bring in a midfield general early on during the summer transfer window and he had earmarked Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat for the role.
Amrabat finally landed at United
The pair share a great rapport, having worked together during their time in FC Utrecht. United had even agreed personal terms with the midfielder a few months in advance.
However, following the big-money acquisitions of Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund, the official stance of the club was that outgoings were necessary for further additions.
However, the Red Devils struggled to offload players and this led to a massive delay in the operation, during which plenty of clubs expressed their interest in acquiring the Moroccan.
The player rejected the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus as well as Saudi Arabia while Liverpool also tried to hijack the move at one point.
The 26-year-old grew frustrated and the player was excluded from training and matchday squads before United’s last-minute loan operation succeeded in bringing the player to Old Trafford.
As per Di Marzio, Amrabat joined for a loan fee of €10 million. The Serie A side have been asking for a permanent clause to be added and the price has been set a €20 million plus €5 million in add-ons.
Fiorentina unhappy with Amrabat’s conduct
While the move is officially done, Fiorentina have expressed how “disappointed” they are with the player’s conduct during the last month.
That’s according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who added that the player was “separated” from his teammates during this period and it was not the best look for a player Fiorentina valued so highly.
United fans have been waiting patiently for the Moroccan World Cup hero and now that the player is finally here, they will hope he can aid the team in its recovery.
Amrabat has not played too much football recently, and the international break is coming at the right time for him and hopefully, he can return to the club match-fit.