Former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has his say on the transfer of Sofyan Amrabat on deadline day.
Manchester United were after the signatures of Sofyan Amrbat throughout the transfer window but they were struggling to strike a deal with Fiorentina. However, they did manage to get their man on the transfer deadline day. The Moroccan international has joined the Red Devils on a season-long loan with a buy option.
After an impressive first season under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, United headed into the transfer market looking to bolster their squad. They wanted to add enough depth and quality to be competitive in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
As a result, the Manchester-based club went big on signing Mason Mount, Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana. While their arrival surely bolstered their squad, they ended up spending the majority of their transfer funds. Ten Hag was still keen on adding Sofyan Amrabat to the mix.
The Red Devils started negotiations with the player as well as the club. They managed to convince the Moroccan international and he agreed on personal terms with the Premier League giants back in June.
Since the player was keen on joining the Red Devils and his contract was running out, Fiorentina decided to let him leave for the right price. They were ready to negotiate with United but they did have enough funds.
Ten Hag’s men were looking to raise funds by offloading players but unfortunately, that did not go according to plan. Amrabat only wanted United and had rejected quite a few offers. As a result, on deadline day, the Italian club were ready to negotiate over a loan plus buy deal.
After a lot of struggle, all parties reached an agreement and with a few hours left in the transfer window, Manchester United announced his signing. Post that a lot of pundits and former players have had their say.
United legend Rio Ferdinand has had his say. The 44-year-old speaking on his YouTube channel said that the 27-year-old is a great acquisition. He is a proper defence-oriented midfielder and he could offer great cover for Casemiro.
But, Ferdinand also pointed out the fact that it won’t be easy for him to adapt to the Premier League. And, it will be interesting if he can produce performances that he did back at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The former United centre-back said: “I managed to see him live at the World Cup two or three times and I think he was very good, even against France. Defensively he’ll give us great cover for someone like Casemiro if he gets suspended or needs resting,”
“He’s a skilled six, deep player, that’s his role. We’ve had players like Fred, [Scott] McTominay – no disrespect, they wanted to do well – but I’ve always said when you look at their player ID, there was never defensive nous in their kit. This guy has that, that’s his game,”
“All players need to adapt and if he can do that quickly I think he’ll be fine. The game is quicker than Serie A, definitely. He’s an international footballer who played well on the international scene so hopefully, he’s got the common sense and concentration to be able to make sure he’s right,”
“I think someone like Casemiro, with his experience of last year missing a few games because of his ill-discipline here and there and maybe naivety towards the league might be able to give him a point in the right direction.”
Ferdinand seems to be excited by the arrival of the 27-year-old whom he saw playing up close during the World Cup. And, it is not just the 44-year-old who is looking forward to it, even Manchester United fans want to see what kind of impact he has on the team.
