Amrabat REJECTS Saudi move to secure Man Utd transfer

Updated: 3 Aug 2023 15:11 BST
4 min read

Sofyan Amrabat has rejected a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia in order to push through a transfer from Fiorentina to Man Utd as the two clubs edge towards a deal.

The 26-year-old is Erik ten Hag’s priority target in midfield and United’s approach for Amrabat should become formal once the club’s €85 million deal for Rasmus Hojlund is complete.

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Amrabat has attracted major interest since starring for Morocco at the 2022 World Cup and Saudi side Al-Ahli have become the latest team to make a move for him, however the player is said to be holding out for United, having played for Ten Hag at FC Twente.

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Personal terms are already agreed with Amrabat and United are reportedly waiting on the sales of Fred and Donny van de Beek in order to launch an official bid to Fiorentina, with the Italian side thought to be demanding around €25m for their star midfielder.

West Ham are also thought to have made a bid for Amrabat, along with Al-Hilal, but the player prefers to move to Old Trafford despite the likelihood that he will be a backup to Casemiro.

United are expecting to confirm the signing of Hojlund by the end of the week, with the 20-year-old set to travel to England for a medical after a deal was struck with Atalanta.

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The arrival of Hojlund will take United’s spending this summer to just over €200m after the signings of Mason Mount and Andre Onana last month.

The priority will then be to sell players such as Fred, who is close to a €15m move to Galatasaray, while Van de Beek and Eric Bailly will also pursue transfers away.

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United hope that the sales will raise the funds to sign Amrabat and complete a deal before their first game of the season against Wolves on August 14th.

Ten Hag is also keen to strengthen in defence but any move hinges on the future of Harry Maguire, with West Ham having seen a bid rejected for the England international.