Manchester United’s first Premier League game of the season saw the Red Devils run out 1-0 winners over Fulham at Old Trafford. It was a close affair on a sunny Friday night in Manchester, with the Cottagers giving United a good game, but failing to capitalise on some good chances, with Erik ten Hag’s side eventually scoring the winner late on thanks to a debut goal from Joshua Zirkzee.
Indeed, United were just about the dominant side against Marco Silva’s men, with SofaScore confirming such a theory. United had slightly more possession than the Cottagers, with 55% to 45%, and had slightly more shots, with 14 compared to Fulham’s ten. Where the Red Devils did considerably better than Fulham was with the number of big chances created, specifically four to the visitor’s none.
Ten Hag will no doubt be pleased his side have got off to a winning start with improvements on last season’s disastrous showings. However, in order to climb the table and push for the top four, they may well dip into the transfer market again to add to their four signings so far.
United have recently been linked with someone who could return to the club and add depth and quality to midfield.
Man United target Serie A midfielder
The player in question here is Fiorentina and Morocco international midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. The 27-year-old has been linked with a move away from Florence this summer, after spending the last campaign on loan at Old Trafford.
Indeed, according to a report from Fabrizio Romano, in conversation with GiveMeSport, the Red Devils view Amrabat as an ‘alternative’ signing to PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who appears to be their main target this summer.
Romano explains in his exclusive report that the Old Trafford club ‘maintain contacts’ with the Morocco international’s entourage, and would still consider doing a deal for the La Viola midfielder before the deadline on the 30th of August.
Whilst a price for the former Utrecht midfielder has not been named, it could end up being a similar fee to the £17m option to buy the Red Devila had in Amrabat’s loan contract, which also included add-ons of around £4.2m. However, it would not be surprising to see United try and negotiate a lower fee or bring the player back to the club on loan.
Why Amrabat would be a good signing
Strangely, although he pushed for the signing last summer, Ten Hag never really gave Amarabat, whom he worked with in the Netherlands at Utrecht, many opportunities. This was even more surprising when you consider the 45 separate injuries United had last term, the most in the Premier League, as per BBC Sport.
In fact, the 27-year-old made just 30 appearances in all competitions for United, with 21 of those coming in the Premier League. That worked out at just 1,545 minutes altogether and equated to only 17.1 full 90 minutes.
Amrabat’s lack of game time last term was even stranger after he put in a superb performance in the FA Cup final, in what was his last appearance donning that famous red shirt. In fact, he was so good that MEN journalist Samuel Luckhurst gave him a 9/10 match rating, praising the Moroccan for being 'an impregnable shield' in United's 2-1 win.
The Fiorentina midfielder could certainly be a cost-effective option if Ugarte becomes unattainable for United this summer. A report from The Guardian on Monday suggested PSG want £51m for the Uruguayan this summer, although with Amrabat costing approximately £30m less than the former Sporting man, he could be a shrewd option.
Not only would Amrabat be a cost-efficient alternative to Ugarte when considering their transfer fees, but he would likely demand less money a week. As per Capology, the Moroccan currently eans £32k per week in Florence, with the Uruguay international earning around three times that amount, with £101k per week.
Should the Red Devils bring Amrabat back to Old Trafford this summer, he could be perfect to play behind talented United youngster Kobbie Mainoo. The 19-year-old midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2023/24 and is now a key player for Ten Hag in the heart of the midfield.
Of course, the duo already have plenty of experience playing next to each other in midfield, given Amarabat spent the previous season in Manchester on loan. They played ten times together and started each of United’s last four games of the 2023/24 campaign, including the FA Cup final.
However, his profile is also complimentary of United’s number 37, who can play in a deeper role but excels when playing in advanced areas of the pitch, as he showed last term for both the Red Devils and United.
Amrabat is a superb sitting midfielder, an “engine in midfield” as football statistician Statman Dave described him. From a defensive point of view, the Moroccan is a brilliant ball-winner, and in the Premier League last season tackled 1.63 dribblers per 90 minutes, which ranked him in the top 7%. He also made 1.92 blocks per 90, ranking him in the top 9%, as per FBref.
Stat (per 90)
Number
Dribblers tackles
1.63
Blocks
1.92
Tackles and interceptions
3.36
Ball recoveries
5.76
Tackles won
1.54
Aside from his impressive defensive numbers, the 27-year-old is also a potent threat on the ball. He is a progressive number six, averaging 5.95 passes into the final third each game which ranked him in the top 11% of Premier League midfielders. The former Utrecht midfielder also played 6.33 progressive passes, which placed him in the top 18% of midfielders.
With this defensive nous in mind, Amarabat would certainly allow Mainoo to venture forward with less defensive pressure on his shoulders and get involved more in the final third. The United youngster is a wonderful ball carrier and, as per FBref, within the past 365 days, attempted an average of 2.81 take-ons per 90 and completed 1.58 of those. That ranks him in the top 8% and 7% of midfielders in Europe respectively.
Given he already has an established relationship to build on with Mainoo and is a very cost-efficient signing both in the sense of his fee and wage, re-signing Amrabat could be a smart move for the Red Devils this summer.
He would provide an excellent option as a number six for Ten Hag’s squad and showed his quality as United won the FA Cup last season. It could certainly be a shrewd move for the Red Devils, and it would be unsurprising to see him in that famous red shirt again next season, despite the clamour for Ugarte.
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