‘Personal terms agreed’ - Erik ten Hag ‘driving’ Man Utd interest in midfielder as club chief issues update

Erik ten Hag is said to be pushing for a certain signing at Manchester United this summer.

The Red Devils are expected to have a busy summer as they prepare for their return to the Champions League, while also hoping to put up a better fight in the title race. United don’t have an unlimited budget by any means, but they are expected to make a number of signings after deciding to bide their time during the January transfer window.

Ten Hag already has a number of his starters for the new season locked down after some wise investing last summer, and that includes Casemiro in the holding midfield role.

But United could do with more depth in that area, and the signing of another deep midfielder would also allow Ten Hag to play with a double pivot, which could prove useful in a usually attacking 4-3-3, especially when attempting to close out games or playing against superior teams.

A way to allow Ten Hag to do that would be to sign another holding midfielder, and Morocco World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat is said to be on the Dutchman’s wishlist. La Nazione have reported that United have an economic agreement with Amrabat, but they have not agreed anything with his current club, Fiorentina.

It’s claimed that Ten Hag is the one that is driving the interest, keen to land Amrabat this summer. But Fiorentina chief Joe Barone has backed up the reports by confirming that there has been no official offer from United - or anyone - to Fiorentina at this point amid a reported valuation of more than £25million.

Barone has said: “We haven’t received any offers for Amrabat. At the moment, he stays here.”

As things stand, Amrabat is under contract until the summer of 2024, but crucially, Fiorentina hold an option to extend the deal by a further year.