Man Utd got their season back on track with Burnley victory | Football Digest
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag reinforced his midfield options with the signing of Sofyan Amrabat on transfer deadline day earlier this month. But he narrowly escaped losing out on his priority late-window target to United’s bitter rivals Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp pushed for his signature.
Amrabat made his Red Devils debut in Saturday’s 1-0 win against Burnley, coming on as a substitute to play the final five minutes at Turf Moor.
The 27-year-old could enjoy his Old Trafford bow by starting for the first time against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday.
But Ten Hag reportedly almost missed out on Amrabat as United stalled their pursuit due to the club’s budget limitations at the end of the transfer window.
According to the Mail, Amrabat was just hours away from becoming a Liverpool player before Ryan Gravenberch arrived at Anfield this summer.
Klopp is said to have rang the Morocco international in a bid to lure him to Merseyside as part of his major midfield revamp.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister had already joined, but Klopp was eyeing a third recruit to fill the void left by a wave of exits.
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Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departed Liverpool, leading Klopp to focus his summer business on his engine room.
And the report claims that he was a needle’s length away from securing his man from Fiorentina before an 11th-hour stumbling block derailed the proposed move.
Klopp instead signed Gravenberch in a £34million deal from Bayern Munich, leaving Amrabat to complete a switch to United.
The fatal issue allegedly rooted from Amrabat’s side, having reportedly paused talks for 24 hours, during which Liverpool decided to walk away.
The new United No 4 may have hesitated to join Liverpool while Ten Hag was knocking on the door over a reunion, which will boost him in the estimations of fans even more.
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United supporters hope Amrabat can provide Ten Hag’s midfield with much-needed balance and quality amid an unconvincing start to the season.
Casemiro, 31, has looked leggy as the anchor, which has contributed to the Dutchman’s midfield being sliced open across their opening games.
He started the campaign by using Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount ahead of Casemiro, but the lack of defensive support was blatant.
Amrabat will be able to offer that, and his ability to fill in at full-back will also prove attractive, given Ten Hag’s current defensive injury crisis.
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