Liverpool look set to beat Tottenham Hotspur to secure the services of Fiorentina and Moroccan midfielder as they reportedly prepare a €45 million winter bid for the World Cup semi-finalist.
According to Lions de L’Atlas, Liverpool are looking to ramp up their pursuit of Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat in order to pip fellow top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the Moroccan international’s signature in the upcoming January transfer window. The Reds are ready to cough up €45 million when the transfer window opens to land the World Cup star.
The 26-year-old has mostly endured a journeyman footballing career so far, as he was on the books of Utrecht, Feyenoord, Club Brugge, and Hellas Verona before signing for Fiorentina in 2020. He has shown flashes of brilliance for La Viola but has blown hot and cold, featuring in just over 1000 minutes in Serie A and Coppa Italia last season.
He has, though, made himself a regular staple this season, starting 10 games in Serie A and a further five in the Europa Conference League. All in all, it’s safe to say, he has lived a relatively quiet football life up until this point.
Now, though, Fiorentina’s midfield force is a global name and on the lips of every top club heading into the winter market. The Moroccan midfield destroyer was one of the standout performers at World Cup 2022 and a pivotal player in his country’s astonishing journey to the semi-finals.
Amrabat played every minute of his nation’s campaign in Qatar, putting up a string of commanding displays from midfield as the Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach the last four.
Indeed, his tough tackling, pin-point passing, and tenacity in the middle of the park are said to have attracted the attention of some of Europe’s leading clubs, including Liverpool and Tottenham, with the English duo looking to bring the Moroccan World Cup hero to the Premier League.
Spurs, for one, could revisit their interest after being in talks over a move for the player last year. Antonio Conte and co. had planned to sign Amrabat in the January transfer window earlier this year, when he was still an unknown quantity, before ultimately securing Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.
While Tottenham holds a long-standing interest in the player, it is their fellow top-four rivals Liverpool who are stepping up their efforts and are in the driving seat to seal the deal for Amrabat in January.
Reds boss Klopp, who is looking to replenish his midfield ranks in 2023, has already met Amrabat’s representatives. It’s been reported that the player has been impressed by what he heard from the German boss and would prefer a move to Anfield.
Fiorentina have made their stance clear: they do not want to sell Amrabat midway through the season, but the widespread interest could tempt them into a sale at the right price. Some reports have even stated that the Italian club activated a one-year extension to keep Amrabat at the club until 2025 just to put themselves in a strong bargaining position at the negotiating table.
As per the above report, it will take a fee of at least €45 million to prise the midfielder away from La Viola, a figure that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool may well be prepared to pay.
