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Manchester United could only scrape a 2-2 draw against fierce rivals Leeds United on Wednesday, failing in their bid to keep pace with league-leaders Arsenal, who remain comfortably above them on the PL table.
Marcel Sabitzer would make his Old Trafford bow for the Red Devils during the highly anticipated derby clash, and despite an innocuous start, the Austrian midfielder would slowly find his bearings and influence proceedings, with a number of shots on goal in the first half.
Sabitzer signed for United on loan from Bayern Munich, in what was a whirlwind of a transfer-story on deadline day, after news of Christian Eriksen’s ankle injury broke out.
As the Peoples person reported earlier, United targeted a number of midfield options in the dying stages of the transfer market, desperate to find a replacement for the Dane who is out until the early weeks of May, eventually settling for former RB Leipzig man, Sabitzer.
Now, however, new information has come to light that one such target allegedly spurned the opportunity to join the 20-time English Champions before the Tuesday deadline.
According to journalist Achraf Ben Ayad, Sofyan Amrabat turned United down in January.
🚨🚨 Amrabat se ofreció a jugar gratis en el FCB esta temporada. Ofreció a la Fiore el salario que iba a recibir del Barça para poder salir cedido. Su agente tenÃa también ofertas de Chelsea y Man Utd ( Ten Hag conoce a Sofian desde el Utrecht), pero el jugador solo querÃa Barça. pic.twitter.com/qs5N4Fe4qW
— Achraf Ben Ayad (@Benayadachraf) February 8, 2023
The Fiorentina anchorman was a revelation at the World Cup in Qatar, helping Morocco reach the quarter-finals, after having beaten the likes of Spain and Portugal on their way to a record breaking run.
Following the World Cup, a number of top European sides began tracking Amrabat in earnest, including Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United.
The Blaugrana went all out for Amrabat, making an offer close to £5.3 million to take the elegant midfielder on loan this January, with a view to a permanent move in the summer.
Enamoured by the prospect of gracing the Camp Nou pitch in flesh, Amrabat offered to play free-of-charge if it meant his move to Catalonia found its conclusion.
Fiorentina would refuse the loan proposal, and demand a permanent transfer, something that was not fiscally possible for Barcelona at the time.
Amrabat was also approached by United, the 26-year-old had previously enjoyed a fruitful spell with Erik ten Hag at FC Twente, but he would reject the last minute proposal.
Graham Potter’s Chelsea kept constant tabs on the Moroccan midfield general all the way, but would eventually settle for World Cup winning Argentinian wonderkid, Enzo Fernandez from SL Benfica.
With his contract expiring in 2024, it is likely that Amrabat gets his much anticipated move from Florence in the summer, but where he will end up, remains a mystery for now.
