Liverpool, Chelsea midfield target’s form nosedives after failed January move but summer switch still mooted
Talk of a January midfield target joining either Liverpool, Chelsea or Barcelona is beginning to hot up again this summer, despite the fact that the player’s form has nosedived since the World Cup.
Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat enjoyed an outstanding competition with a Morocco team that reached the semi-finals in Qatar, with the 26-year-old also being named in the Team of the Tournament.
That led to interest from several clubs in England as well LaLiga giants Barca, who the player was keen on to join.
Indeed, Amrabat tried to force a move to Barcelona on Deadline Day by not turning up for Fiorentina training and also pushing for an exit on social media.
That led to the midfielder being frozen out of the team for a small time before an apology rectified matters.
However, Amrabat has struggled to get over the disappointment of his failed move and his form has suffered as a consequence.
The former Club Brugge star cost Fiorentina goal in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Empoli at the Stadio Franchi. The Morocco international lost possession at the edge of the box in the first half, helping Empoli break the deadlock.
Amrabat was then rated as the worst player on the pitch and given a rating of 4/10 by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The midfielder has also never received a higher rating than 6/10 on Fantacalcio.it since the resumption of domestic football, which is the official site for Serie A’s Fantasy Football.
Amrabat’s current contract is due to run out in the summer of 2024. However, he does have an option to extend it for a further season.
Liverpool, Chelsea in rebuild mode
Liverpool’s interest was not particularly surprising, given their midfield struggles this season.
Jurgen Klopp is dealing with an aging engine room and is expected to add one or two new midfielders to his squad this summer. However, the emergence of Spanish youngster Stefan Bajcetic since the turn of the year will likely save the Reds having to bring in more than one new face.
As for Chelsea, their squad is undergoing a complete overhaul under Graham Potter and Todd Boehly.
Jorginho has already been shipped off to Arsenal, while there is also a strong chance that N’Golo will also be on his way in the summer.
But, going back to Amrabat, the midfielder is without a goal or assist for Fiorentina in 30 appearances this season. That is not particularly surprising though, given that it was his defensive midfield work in Qatar that earned him plenty of plaudits.
And it appears that he needs a complete change of scenery to bring about the form he showed in the winter showpiece tournament.