It was Erik ten Hag who brought him to Manchester United in the first place. But, should the £21 million man find himself departing Old Trafford during the summer transfer window, the blame may lie squarely at the door of that very same individual.
Ten Hag has his fair share of regrets about how the 2023/24 campaign panned out, telling anyone who will listen just how difficult a never-ending spate of injuries made life for his suffering Manchester United squad.
But, still, the Dutchman could have handled things a little better. And we’re not just talking about toning down the training regime which reportedly contributed to those countless Carrington-based muscle strains.
A run of three straight wins at the end of a dreadful season – including that FA Cup final triumph over Man City at Wembley – had many Red Devils supporters wishing Ten Hag had put his faith in Sofyan Amrabat a little earlier.
Manchester United yet to make Sofyan Amrabat decision
Amrabat may not be the solution to all of Man United’s midfield ills.
He remains a little ponderous in possession, and struggles with the pace of things when the game gets stretched. But as Casemiro increasingly resembled a beaten up old sports car leaking oil and gathering rust, the solid, smooth sedan that is Amrabat surely could have been put to much better use.
Nordin Amrabat, Sofyan’s older brother, certainly feels Man United would have seen a lot better from the Fiorentina loanee if he’d been afforded a consistent run of games rather.
“Look, I know he is a player who needs rhythm,” Nordin tells Ziggo Sport, Amrabat’s best run of form coming when starting successive matches in victories over Newcastle, Brighton and City.
“Without rhythm, he is not at his best. But, at the end he played four times in a row. And then you see the result.”
Amrabat, The National say, turned down no fewer than eight clubs before sealing his dream switch to Man United on deadline day last summer. One of those clubs is rumoured to have been Liverpool, interest from the two Premier League rivals testament to just how highly Amrabat was regarded after the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Loanees future must be decided before end of June
“It was already clear at Fiorentina that he was going to leave,” Nordin adds, a lack of pre-season minutes also making life a little harder for Sofyan in England.
“The (Fiorentina) coach said ‘Train alone’. And it took until the last day of the transfer window for the loan to be completed. So, his preparation was not normal. After that, Sofyan immediately went to the Moroccan team, where he got injured.
“He (eventually) reached a normal level but the club’s results were not good. Then, he was removed from the team.”
Amrabat, speaking to Ziggo Sport himself as the confetti filled the Wembley sky, admitted that he remains in the dark over his Man United future.
Contrary to popular belief, Amrabat insists that no decision has been made just yet, the Red Devils putting Ten Hag’s fate at their top of their post-season to-do list.
“They have until the end of the month (to decide whether to keep Amrabat),” former Watford winger Nordin explains. “But it is not yet clear whether the coach will stay.
“So we have to wait and see. I don’t know what will happen.”