Man Utd star was 'hours away' from becoming Liverpool player
Tom Weber
- Updated: 27 Sept 2023 17:03 BST
- 3 min read
Sofyan Amrabat was "just hours away" from signing for Liverpool in the summer, according to a report.
The Moroccan was the protagonist of one of the most intriguing and protracted transfer sagas of the summer. The World Cup hero made it clear early on that he wanted to leave Fiorentina and he had several suitors, among them Manchester United and Liverpool.
United were quick off the mark and got the green light from the player for a move as early as June, but their financial situation and the need to fix more pressing issues first put a transfer in doubt right until the very end of the window.
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Thanks to Erik ten Hag's agency SEG - which Amrabat now looks set to join despite criticism - the Red Devils managed to strike a loan deal with an option to buy the 27-year-old next summer. Amrabat made his debut against Burnley at the weekend and started his first game - at left-back - versus Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup midweek.
But in a different world, he could be lining up for Liverpool these days.
Amrabat close to LFC
That is at least according to the Daily Mail, which claims "that the Moroccan was just hours away from becoming a Liverpool player this summer."
Early in the window, initial reports out of Italy claimed that Amrabat had resolutely rejected Liverpool because he only wanted to join their rivals and it seems he did the same again at the end of the window.
The above-mentioned report asserts that Liverpool and Fiorentina were in talks in the final days of the transfer period, but Amrabat's camp insisted on putting negotiations on hold for 24 hours.
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This, in turn, convinced Liverpool to give signing Ryan Gravenberch another go and they managed to snap him up on Deadline Day for €40 million.
Gravenberch is six years Amrabat's junior and regarded as one of the biggest talents in Europe, so Liverpool will feel they got a good deal despite missing out on an established star player.
