Manchester United signing was hours away from joining Liverpool

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Manchester United nearly missed out on Sofyan Amrabat amid claims that he was just hours away from joining rivals Liverpool instead.

United had already snapped up Mason Mount from Chelsea but wanted another combative midfielder to compete with Casemiro.

The top target was clear; Erik ten Hag wanted to land Sofyan Amrabat From Fiorentina.

The pair worked together at Utrecht in the Netherlands and Ten Hag wanted to reunite at Old Trafford.

The rumours went on and on for months but United finally got a deal done on deadline day, securing Amrabat on loan with an option to buy.

Sofyan Amrabat almost ended up at Liverpool

United dragged this deal out until the very end and details are now emerging on how the move was very nearly hijacked.

The Daily Mail report that Amrabat was ‘just hours away’ from signing for Liverpool over the summer.

Jurgen Klopp is understood to have personally driven Liverpool’s interest in Amrabat, believing that he could help replace the likes of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

It’s stated that Liverpool were a ‘whisker away’ from signing Amrabat, only for a ‘last-minute hitch’ to scupper the deal.

The report claims that the issues came from inside Amrabat’s camp and that talks were placed on hold ahead of the transfer deadline.

Liverpool decided to completely scrap their interest and focus all their efforts on Ryan Gravenberch instead.

United avoided a nightmare situation by finally signing Amrabat; missing out on him would have been one thing but seeing him join Liverpool would have been a bitter pill to swallow.

Amrabat could make first United start tonight

We saw Amrabat make his debut for United on Saturday, coming off the bench in the 1-0 win away at Burnley.

That was a very brief appearance for the Moroccan World Cup star, but he could now make a first United start tonight.

United host Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup and we are expecting to see Ten Hag make a number of changes to his side.

Getting Amrabat up to speed would be ideal and Amrabat no doubt can’t wait for his Old Trafford bow having come so close to calling Anfield home instead.