Sofyan Amrabat finally completed his much anticipated move to join English Premier League club Manchester United from Italian Serie A outfit Fiorentina at the death of the summer transfer window in the 2023/2024 Season. In the 27-year-old Moroccan central defensive midfielder’s season-long loan with the 13-time Premier League winner, it is understood that Manchester United has paid the Viola £8.5 million for Amrabat and they will have the option to complete a permanent deal with the player for £21.4 million, should he meet manager Erik ten Hag’s and the team’s expectations this year.
With the transfer business now done and dusted for the Red Devils, spectators’ attention will now turn to whether Amrabat is capable of saving Manchester United’s rocky start to the new season.
What Does Amrabat’s Presence Mean to Manchester United’s On- and Off-Field Issues in 2023/2024
Now, if you think that the current form and Premier League standing are the only reasons bothering the Red Devils, think again as after Manchester United was defeated by Arsenal with two last-minute goals at Emirates thanks to Declan Rice’s first goal in his new club and Gabriel Jesus’s opening tally of the season, several unpleasant news broke out to affect everyone’s mood at the club, including domestic violence accusations against Antony, Jadon Sancho’s public fallout with ten Hag and Mason Greenwood‘s loan move to Spanish La Liga side Getafe.
While Amrabat’s presence at Manchester United will not solve these off-field issues, the Moroccan can certainly provide an instant impact to the club’s midfield lineup, which is undergoing inconsistency at the moment due to the ins and outs last transfer window. During the preseason and first two games of the season, Dutch manager ten Hag has been trying to fit Brazilian star Casemiro, captain Bruno Fernandes and new signing from Chelsea Mason Mount into the same midfield system, but to no avail as the Red Devils only managed to narrowly escape Wolves with a 1-0 win and lost to a Kane-less Spurs afterwards.
Following Mount’s injury, the 53-year-old ten Hag decided to rely on his old servant Christian Eriksen, who cannot afford to provide a decent performance throughout the entire 90 minutes of a match as seen in United’s devastating defeat to Arsenal, meaning Amrabat’s arrival would be vital as he can offer a better balance to the overly attack-minded midfield in Manchester United’s first four games of the season.
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How Can Manchester United Line Up with Amrabat in Midfield?
Known as a central defensive midfielder, the 27-year-old Netherlands-born Amrabat is regular starter for Fiorentina as well as the Morocco national football team, who went on to achieve only the first semifinal finish for an African nation in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar last year; Amrabat is also a former player of ten Hag’s during the span of 2015 to 2017 at Dutch Eredivisie side FC Utrecht.
With Amrabat’s defensive capabilities, ten Hag may deploy both Amrabat and Casemiro for a double pivot to hold the fort in the midfield while allowing attack-minded midfielders such as Bruno, Mount or Eriksen to initiate and join an attacking play without any worrying about the team defence. Besides, Amrabat’s presence can offload the enormous central defensive duties shouldered by Casemiro, who was the only star-calibre CDM for Manchester United last season. Although the Brazilian midfielder is known for his physique and tenacity, the Red Devils did struggle when the five-time UEFA Champions League winner was suspended due to red cards and he has not been able to regain his form thus far this year.
As teams are going through the first international break of the season, ten Hag and his management staff will have all the time in the world to figure it out what is the best possible midfield lineup they can offer for Manchester United in the 2023/2024 Season. Furthermore, in addition to Amrabat’s arrival, the Dutchman will welcome the return of Mount, who is racing for recovery by the end of this international break.
Mason Mount will miss Man Utd’s match vs. Nottingham Forest on Saturday after picking up an injury vs. Tottenham, and is expected to be out until the international break in September. pic.twitter.com/swX2haIdgT
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 22, 2023
Amrabat Will Wear No. 4 at Manchester United
Amrabat’s Manchester United transfer news have made many to think which jersey number he is wearing at the Red Devils, and the question was recently answered as he was unveiled as the club’s new no. 4 in the 2023/2024 Season, inheriting the number long worn by former England defender Phil Jones. No. 4 is familiar to Amrabat as it is the jersey number that he wears when playing for the Morocco national team while no. 34 was his previous jersey number at Fiorentina.
Although there were talks that French centre-back Raphaël Varane was going to change his jersey number from no. 19 to no. 4, which was worn during his time with France, the number was ultimately Amrabat’s and Varane will continue to wear the no. 19 shirt in his third season with the club.
