Fabrizio Romano says midfielder 'waiting' on £21m Manchester United decision with 'plans to leave' current club
Man Utd are yet to make a decision on the international midfielder.
Sofyan Amrabat is ‘waiting’ to hear from Manchester United over the prospect of a permanent move with reports claiming a decision will be made next week.
Amrabat joined United on a season-long loan towards the end of last summer, with Fiorentina receiving a €10million loan fee. There is an option for Erik ten Hag’s side to make the move permanent in this window but it could cost a further €20m plus €5m add-ons (around £21m in total).
The arrival of Amrabat was met with excitement in Manchester but it was a tough season for the Moroccan international, who started just 17 games and went five months without a Premier League start. Ten Hag often preferred the experience of Casemiro but also opted to start the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay over the loanee.
But after having his own contract extended by a further year, the Manchester Evening News reported earlier this month that Ten Hag will discuss the possibility of signing Amrabat permanently. And Fabrizio Romano now reports that a decision will be made next week, with the defensive midfielder waiting to hear from his temporary club.
Amrabat is planning to leave parent club Fiorentina, regardless of United’s decision, and is into the final 12 months of his contract with the Serie A outfit. The 27-year-old was not short of suitors after an excellent 2022 World Cup campaign with Morocco and will likely have the pick of multiple destinations again, even after a disappointing loan spell at United.
Despite struggling to break into the first-team and enduring a tough year overall, Amrabat can boast to be an FA Cup winner after helping United beat Manchester City at Wembley earlier this year. The midfielder was even handed a rare start in the final and played all 90 minutes as his side won 2-1.
"Do I already know what I’m going to do next year? No,” Amrabat told Ziggo Sport after that glorious triumph. “We are going to talk. Staying is certainly an option. Look, I think it has been a very difficult season. For Manchester United it needs to be much better, and also for me personally. We are going to talk. Manchester United are the biggest club in the world, so who wouldn’t want to play football here? But all parties have to be happy with each other, so we will sit down now and see what happens."
United are expected to strengthen in central midfield this summer, with Ten Hag identifying that area as a priority amid uncertainty over the future of Casemiro. Mainoo has continued his development away with England at Euro 2024 but a more defensive option will be needed.
Links to Benfica youngster Joao Neves have been regular over the past few months but he could cost close to £100m. Everton’s Amadou Onana has also been of interest but looks set to secure a £50m move to Aston Villa in the coming days.