Jurgen Klopp may have to replace Fabinho at Liverpool this summer and Man United are currently hesitant to find a single ‘target’ for the Reds who could suit him.
Selling Fabinho would make perfect sense, but his departure would leave a huge void for Liverpool to fill as he has been their side’s defensive midfielder since the summer of 2018. Over the past five years, the South American has held the line in Klopp’s outfit, but that might not happen next season.
If Fabinho is indeed cleared to join Al-Ittihad in the coming days, the Reds will have to search the market for a capable replacement.
It remains to be seen who would end up on Liverpool’s shortlist, but the list of potential candidates is unlikely to be long as top options – like Declan Rice and Moisés Caicedo – are only available for sky-high transfer fees.
Klopp could be tasked with finding a cheaper solution to his problem which is why the signing of Sofyan Amrabat could be courted. The Moroccan midfielder has only one year on his contract with Fiorentina, and that situation illustrates why he could be achievable at a realistic price point in the current period.
Manchester United are reportedly interested in him this summer, but Erik ten Hag must allow some players to leave Old Trafford before he can make a move to Amrabat, via The Independent. Arch-rivals Liverpool are looking to sign Amrabat this summer, but Ten Hag appear hesitant in the transfer market, allowing Klopp to hijack the transfer.
Amrabat has passed the age criteria of a typical signing at Anfield – as he turns 27 next month – but he nonetheless possesses a whole range of valuable qualities. The Serie A talent is hardworking, intense and physical, but can also play when the ball is under his feet.
The Dutch-born midfielder is very adept at passing between the lines. In Italy’s top flight last season, he ranked fourth in the division in progressive passes per 90 minutes, behind only former Reds players Luis Alberto, Maxime Lopez and Stefano Sensi, all of whom were relatively weak physically.
One of the few to combine expert distribution with a solid mid-term lead, Amrabat earned a reputation as a true destroyer at the World Cup in Qatar. Just six months ago, he managed to reach the semi-finals of the tournament with underdogs Morocco and scoring against his team proved incredibly difficult.
It was around this time that Liverpool were credited with making Amrabat a transfer target. Foot Mercato even claimed that Klopp had met with the player’s entourage.
As well as his ability to move the ball forward, he is also able to hold onto it when needed, as Amrabat tends to give his teammates real control over their progress. Last season, he completed 1,323 of his 1,490 pass attempts in Serie A, achieving an 88.8% completion rate.
For context, that average placed him second in Italy among midfielders, behind only Stanislav Lobotka. Had he put up the same numbers in the Premier League last season, he would also have been second among midfielders, behind only Manchester City’s Rodri, who had an accuracy of 91.2%.
All in all, Amrabat looks like a possible candidate to succeed Fabinho. He ticks pretty much all the boxes except for his age.
Liverpool would like a younger model to fill the Merseyside void and that would be understandable, but if Klopp is willing to overlook that minor detail he could steal a march from Manchester United to bring his man.
