Sofyan Amrabat | signs for United on loan

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I think between Amrabat, Mainoo and Hannibal, there's enough talent to work with and develop in the #6/#8 hybrid role for this season. Mainoo is a natural #8 and it seems ten Hag was going to develop him in a deeper role this season before his injury.

But whether we sign Amrabat or if Hannibal is given a chance, I think if we had those options then it could set us up for the summer window of 2024. Then I feel we could focus on the long-term Casemiro replacement and sign a commander profile at CB who is comfortable playing both as a RCB or as a CCB in a three man back line whilst the ball is in the opponent's half. The commander in the back line needs to have the technical qualities in possession but also have the ability to step into midfield to enforce the press out of possession and push the back line forward. So in that scenario it's also important to have the physical and athletic ability to either win the 1v1 duel when the space opens up for the opposition or contain the opponent in a 1v1 duel. My personal opinion is that we should target a CB who has the ability in possession but also has the pace and power to enforce the press and contain transitions.

Our focus in the current window became the GK and striker. With Mount and Amrabat for midfield. And the way pre-season was developing, it did look like the plan was to add Onana, Mount, Hojlund, Amrabat and Mainoo to the first team squad. That actually isn't a bad plan if we can end up signing Amrabat. But I hope Hannibal is also given a chance.

I just haven't made my mind up on who I want as the holding midfielder. But there is a CB at SCP in Portugal that looks very interesting for the CB role I've described above. And that CB is Ousmane Diomande.
 
I would like to see a double pivot with him and Casemiro in the middle. Provides the team with balance and the club can build on the performances last season. I personally don't see Bruno or Mount as (8s) because of their positional play and the lack of discipline defensively to occupy that role so if Amrabat comes in the hope is that those two can play further forward across a suitable position in the attack.

Amrabat wouldn't have been my first choice but considering how bad the performances were in the midfield it's to some degree at crisis point and this signing is a necessity. Some can say it's only two games but tactically when your 6 and 8 are so far apart, and the 6 is closer to being considered aged in category, there's no way regular games is going to fix that issue but rather compound the problem. Casemiro will end up gassed from having to cover so many midfield spaces and decline at a advanced rate, while Bruno / Mount will get absolutely ridiculed.

This signing is a priority but more importantly it has to equate balance and that's the managers responsibility.
 
I would like to see a double pivot with him and Casemiro in the middle. Provides the team with balance and the club can build on the performances last season. I personally don't see Bruno or Mount as (8s) because of their positional play and the lack of discipline defensively to occupy that role so if Amrabat comes in the hope is that those two can play further forward across a suitable position in the attack.

Amrabat wouldn't have been my first choice but considering how bad the performances were in the midfield it's to some degree at crisis point and this signing is a necessity. Some can say it's only two games but tactically when your 6 and 8 are so far apart, and the 6 is closer to being considered aged in category, there's no way regular games is going to fix that issue but rather compound the problem. Casemiro will end up gassed from having to cover so many midfield spaces and decline at a advanced rate, while Bruno / Mount will get absolutely ridiculed.

This signing is a priority but more importantly it has to equate balance and that's the managers responsibility.

Who was your first choice?
 
Who was your first choice?

I'd have taken Kokcu or Kone before the window opened followed both players loosely was impressed with their profile.

I know it's a bit of a wild inclusion but also Guendouzi, questionable mentality but I think he has the attributes to be brilliant in the midfield. Was impressed when I watched him in possession at Arsenal. Reckon he would work with the more mature players around him.
 
I'd have taken Kokcu or Kone before the window opened followed both players loosely was impressed with their profile.

I know it's a bit of a wild inclusion but also Guendouzi, questionable mentality but I think he has the attributes to be brilliant in the midfield. Was impressed when I watched him in possession at Arsenal. Reckon he would work with the more mature players around him.

Well Kone hasn't gone anywhere yet but scousers are sniffing around him right now
 
Should have just kept Fred in hindsight
I don’t think Fred solves anything for us at any time but it’s funny how one injury can make the options look very thin. For years he was the least bad option which is just amazing to me.

I'm just absolutely delighted we let Fred go because there’s no longer that temptation to lob him in there (because, obviously, we can’t).
 


Who is insisting that we'll soon arrive at signing this guy when nobody has bid for him this summer? Sounds like a bad source making things up. What would be the purpose of that information anyway? Clubs want to keep their signings quiet to not attract other interest and inflate the fee. Sometimes its different when its a huge name player. Thats not this guy.

The only purpose would be the source wanting credit for saying it so its completely in their best interest to continue saying its going to happen until the window closes.
 
Priority since the end of June, yet no bid? Feel sorry for whoever was deemed 2nd choice then if that's how priority transfers get treated.
Romano has been pretty consistent in saying we want this guy but cannot get him until we sell. Is that really treating him badly?
 
I reckon it’ll happen and he will be injured right away
 
Who is insisting that we'll soon arrive at signing this guy when nobody has bid for him this summer? Sounds like a bad source making things up. What would be the purpose of that information anyway? Clubs want to keep their signings quiet to not attract other interest and inflate the fee. Sometimes its different when its a huge name player. Thats not this guy.

The only purpose would be the source wanting credit for saying it so its completely in their best interest to continue saying its going to happen until the window closes.

Or we agreed terms with Amrabat himself ages ago, and have told him to wait for us. He agrees and only wants to come to us, thus if any other club has come sniffing around for him he's told them he's not interested.
 
No bid just implied the club never showed interest and that the fans were led by PR. We got fooled (once again)
As with Kim Jae, no substantial UK journalists were picking up on Amrabat. Only Romano and the Italian sources.

It’s very funny he’s still not in Fiorentina’s squad, though. Weird.
 
Or we agreed terms with Amrabat himself ages ago, and have told him to wait for us. He agrees and only wants to come to us, thus if any other club has come sniffing around for him he's told them he's not interested.
Pretty much this. He seems determined to want utd only. If the move doesn’t happen, it’s not a disaster for him. He gets to leave on a free next year and get a nice big contract wherever he goes. Saudi will always want him too.
 
As with Kim Jae, no substantial UK journalists were picking up on Amrabat. Only Romano and the Italian sources.

It’s very funny he’s still not in Fiorentina’s squad, though. Weird.
On a french radio, an agent how clubs frequently spread fake rumors about being about x or y players
 
If this is as a Barcelona or Bayern Munich deal, this would b quite normal and pretty straight forward. However because this is us…….

I can see us not selling anyone and been spun as we only ever inquired mean while the player seems to be on strike.

Also If we do get him I expect Samuel and his friends at the athletic to tell us how smart our DoF is who waiting so long to ensure we didn’t get ripped off.
 
Romano has been pretty consistent in saying we want this guy but cannot get him until we sell. Is that really treating him badly?
Well if we really wanted him we'd just sign him and then force Donny out the door, instead of having this lad sit on the sidelines and train with the reserves all month then let him down when we can't shift Donny. It hardly screams "we want you to play a big part here" does it?
 
Well if we really wanted him we'd just sign him and then force Donny out the door, instead of having this lad sit on the sidelines and train with the reserves all month then let him down when we can't shift Donny. It hardly screams "we want you to play a big part here" does it?
None of it screams anything.

Why string together assumptions and draw a negative conclusion from them?
 
IF EtH wants him (*a big if) then why can't we do a loan with an obligation to buy, Wouldn't that suit FFP? We do need a midfielder to add to what we have.
 
Seems quite harsh that the lad is waiting for us having presumably been told we're coming in for him, only to discover that is only if we can find a buyer for our deadwood players before it's too late.

He's going to end up somewhere else at the deadline while we insist that we always planned to stick with VdB and McTom.
 
Seems quite harsh that the lad is waiting for us having presumably been told we're coming in for him, only to discover that is only if we can find a buyer for our deadwood players before it's too late.

He's going to end up somewhere else at the deadline while we insist that we always planned to stick with VdB and McTom.
I would be amazed if there is no ongoing dialogue with his agent. Amrabat will be more in the picture than we are.
 
IF EtH wants him (*a big if) then why can't we do a loan with an obligation to buy, Wouldn't that suit FFP? We do need a midfielder to add to what we have.
Apparently loans with obligations to buy count toward FFP immediately.
 
I hope the new owners get rid of Murtough and Co, they've been nothing but a hindrance to our club.

The fact he got hired in the first place shows how fall our expectations and standards have dropped.
 
None of it screams anything.

Why string together assumptions and draw a negative conclusion from them?
Who said it’s a negative conclusion? He’s obviously not a priority signing otherwise he’d be here. Onana was a priority signing. We didn’t make him sit out the start of the season at Inter while we tried to shift Henderson.

Why get your knickers in a twist over something that’s quite clearly not what Romero or whoever is giving him the information is saying to be true.
 
Seems quite harsh that the lad is waiting for us having presumably been told we're coming in for him, only to discover that is only if we can find a buyer for our deadwood players before it's too late.

He's going to end up somewhere else at the deadline while we insist that we always planned to stick with VdB and McTom.
Yea it's kind of a weird situation. Why isnt he with Fiorentina's squad if no club has bid for him yet? Selling clubs usually do that when they know they're close to an agreement and dont want to risk losing the deal to an injury. I guess Fiorentina really wants those €20M or something that are rumored instead of losing him for nothing next summer.
 
Of course the signing I have a hard on for is the one that looks like it might never happen.
 
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