Liverpool target Sofyan Amrabat has been told he “must” leave Fiorentina by Morocco manager Walid Regragui.
WHAT’S THE STORY?
Well, the 26-year-old was among the best performing players at the World Cup in Qatar along with the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, catching the attention of Jürgen Klopp with his excellent displays.
According to Moroccan news outlet Lions de L’Atlas, Liverpool are set to bid €45m (£40m) to sign Amrabat after being convinced by his performances at the World Cup.
Now, Regragui, who made football history by helping Morocco become the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final, has urged the defensive midfielder to leave Fiorentina and join one of Europe’s elite clubs.
Speaking to Moroccan TV station Arryadia, the 47-year-old said: “With all due respect to Fiorentina, Amrabat must play in one of the top ten clubs.”
Liverpool – despite their current struggles as they sit sixth in the Premier League – certainly fall into that category, having won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup in recent years, while also becoming champions of England, FA Cup winners and also Carabao Cup kings.
Amrabat started all seven games for Morocco at the World Cup, averaging 2.3 tackles per match as he truly shone ahead of the backline.
AMRABAT COULD TRANSFORM LIVERPOOL
In our view, the signing of Amrabat could be a transformative deal for Liverpool.
Fabinho – who is usually tasked with performing a similar job to the Moroccan – has struggled to hit the heights of old this season.
Elsewhere in Klopp’s midfield department, Thiago – a very injury prone player – Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Harvey Elliott are not imposing, physical presences in the middle of the park.
So stark contrast, Amrabat is. The African maestro’s impressive reading of the play, tackling ability and vision for a line-breaking pass truly caught the eye in Qatar, even against the likes of France, Spain and Belgium.
Of course, we understand the risks of signing someone based on one impressive tournament, but Amrabat has been playing in similar fashion for Fiorentina on a regular basis now, so he seems to be the real deal.
Keep an eye on this situation, as Liverpool are supposedly set to submit a bid in January.
