Amrabat’s ‘SPECIAL’ contract clause
Robin Bairner
- 13 Sept 2023 10:00 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has had a “special clause” inserted to his Fiorentina contract should his loan deal at Old Trafford not result in a permanent move.
Amrabat completed a temporary transfer to the Red Devils late in the summer transfer window, with Erik ten Hag’s side having failed to secure the funds that would have seen him join the Premier League side on a definitive basis.
Man Utd have paid the Serie A club a reported €10 million for the player this season – half of which will be paid in January if they opt to retain him until the end of the campaign as there is a break option in the deal at that point.
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But Ten Hag’s men also have a purchase option in Amrabat’s deal that will see them send €25m to Fiorentina at the end of the campaign if they wish to retain him.
Given that the 27-year-old’s present contract at Fiorentina runs until 2024, at which point he will become a free agent, this was a puzzling arrangement.
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The Mirror has explained the situation, however. If Man Utd opt not to take up the purchase option in the loan contract, Amrabat has had a clause in his Fiorentina deal that indicates his time there will be automatically extended by one year.
Officially, Amrabat’s contract in Florence remains valid until 2024, but in reality it is a deal that means Fiorentina will be able to command a fee for him next summer.
The Morocco international has yet to make his debut for Man Utd and missed the present international break because of a back injury.
According to the latest reports, it looks unlikely that Amrabat will be fit to feature for Man Utd against Brighton on Saturday, which would automatically cast doubt onto his capacity to start against Bayern Munich in the Champions League the following Wednesday.
After that trip to Germany, Ten Hag’s men face Burnley away in the Premier League and a double header against Crystal Palace at home in the League Cup and league - matches that he will hope to get plenty of game time in.
