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Sofyan Amrabat agreed personal terms with Manchester United over a month ago and now, finally, the door looks to have been opened for Erik ten Hag to make his move.
That is because Donny van de Beek is deep in negotiations with another club, according to reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano.
The journalist took to Twitter before United’s match against Tottenham Hotspur to explain the reason for the Dutchman’s absence from the matchday squad.
While Harry Maguire, another omission linked with an exit, was cited as having a “minor injury issue,” Van de Beek’s absence had another explanation.
Romano claimed that the midfielder could not be part of the squad due to “negotiations ongoing for his exit” from Old Trafford.
Harry Maguire, not called up for Man Utd due to minor injury. 🔴⚠️ #MUFC
Donny van de Beek, due to negotiations ongoing for his exit. pic.twitter.com/VejX5QX4Os
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 19, 2023
One would imagine that negotiations must be well into their advanced stages for the former Ajax star to be missing matchday squads altogether.
He was on the bench for The Red Devils’ curtain raiser against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but something appears to have shifted since.
While Romano’s update ahead of the match did not mention who Donny van de Beek would be joining, there has been plenty of negotiation between the player and one club in particular.
As reported by The Peoples Person, Real Sociedad have been keen on the Dutch playmaker for weeks, and while it seemed as though they were ready to move onto other targets, it now appears that a move could be back on.
Man United were adamant that they wanted an obligation to buy inserted into any loan deal rather than an option, and they may well have got their wish.
Since previous reports had indicated that Manchester United would need to offload two midfielders in order to finance a bid for another, Sofyan Amrabat now seems to be a short step away from Old Trafford.
With Fred already leaving for Fenerbahce and Donny van de Beek very much looking outbound now, a bid for the Fiorentina star could be imminent.