Manchester United’s deadline day signing Sofyan Amrabat was just ‘hours away’ from joining rivals Liverpool before a hitch saw the move break down, it has been reported.
The Moroccan midfielder was expected to be on the move all summer, but it wasn’t until transfer deadline day that a loan move to Old Trafford finally materialised, with the Red Devils having an option to buy the player at the end of the season.
He made his debut for Erik ten Hag’s side against Burnley, coming on as a second-half substitute in their 1-0 win, but had things gone differently it could have been Jurgen Klopp’s side that he was lining out for this season.
That is because the Daily Mail report that Manchester United’s rivals were ‘hours’ away from signing the Moroccan before a late issue saw them pivot and instead pick up Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich, a player that the Red Devils were also interested in.
They claim that Amrabat was ‘just hours away from becoming a Liverpool player this summer’ and that ‘Klopp was a whisker away from getting his man until a last-minute hitch held up the deal’.
It is added that ‘The problem is believed to have arisen inside the Amrabat camp’ and that as a result ‘talks were put on hold for 24 hours and it was during this period that Liverpool decided to go back to Gravenberch’.
Neither side will be too disappointed with the outcome, with Gravenberch believed to be a better fit for Klopp’s side despite the higher price tag, while Amrabat was reportedly holding out for a reunion with Erik ten Hag, who he worked with at FC Utrecht.
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