Manchester United are currently in a race against time to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. Despite the deal being agreed, the 27-year-old needs to complete a medical.
Amrabat will surely complete the move in time to be ahead of the deadline, although, the midfielder will not be featuring against Arsenal as the Moroccan was not signed before midday to be available for that game.
After weeks of strenuous negotiations and sometimes weeks of silence, it looks like Erik ten Hag will get his man and the midfielder could be a huge addition to a midfield that has been cut open far too easily so far this season.
Gary Neville has given his thoughts on United’s decision to sign the midfielder, with the deal being an initial loan plus an option to buy.
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Neville verdict
Speaking on Sky Sports, as the countdown to 11 pm continues, Neville was pleased United have seemingly got the deal over the line.
The former United right-back has been one of the biggest advocates for the Red Devils to sign another midfielder to help out Casemiro and now it appears his prayers have been answered.
“They’ve wanted him from day one, he’s wanted that ball-playing midfield player,” Neville said on the the Sky Sports YouTube channel. “He’s always wanted this player, this isn’t a panic. I just don’t know why it’s not happened earlier.”
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United’s scattergun approach
The decision to sign Amrabat is certainly a good one but what isn’t a good decision is just how long it took for United to pull the trigger on the deal.
As it transpires, United have got a decent deal out of the Italian side. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, United will sign Amrabat with a loan plus an option to buy set at £17 million, plus a further £4 million in add-ons.
Amrabat will be a superb option in the midfield but may well need to be eased in at Old Trafford due to the late nature of the deal and the lack of pre-season training that the Moroccan has had this summer.