Manchester United are ending the transfer window on a high after signing Sofyan Amrabat for a one-year loan with a buyout clause added for next season.
On paper, this is a great addition to the team, and fans were quick to draw comparisons between Amrabat and another United midfielder, Casemiro, due to their playing in the same position. Let us take a look at how the Moroccan is different from his Brazilian teammate.
On paper, this is a great addition to the team and fans were quick to draw comparisons between Amrabat and another United midfielder Casemiro due to them playing in the same position. Let us take a look at how the Moroccan is different from his Brazilian teammate.
Amrabat and Casemiro linking up at old Trafford 🔥🔥🥶pic.twitter.com/CLxMUOchxH
— 🥤𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 (@AfcBanks_) September 1, 2023
Casemiro is 31 years of age while Amrabat is only 27 and at his prime. Both Casemiro and Amrabat share the same height of 1.85 m. Though Casemiro was suspended for some matches last season, he has played 2125 minutes of football compared to the 2005 minutes played by Amrabat.
Casemiro has been involved in four goals and three assists, while Sofyan has only one assist to his name. But the passing percentage for the Moroccan is higher at 89.8% compared to the Brazilian’s 78.5%. When it comes to tackling volume, the Brazilian ranks way higher, with 89 tackles made last season compared to Amrabat’s 39. But Casemiro has lost half of his challenges, while Amrabat has only lost one-third of his.
Though Casemiro has more touches (1769) and take-on attempted (20), Amrabat has a higher number of successful take-ons (70.6%) and the ball carries (1054) into the final third than the Brazilian. Last season, Amrabat had one of the best long ball success rates at 80%, with Casemiro ranking second in the United team with 55.9%.
How much did Sofyan Amrabat cost Manchester United?
Sofyan Amravat was the name on everyone’s lips after his brilliant World Cup performances that helped Morocco become the first African team in history to reach the semi-finals of the competition. Matt Hargreaves, United’s director of football negotiations personally flew to Italy to sort out the deal.
According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano United has agreed on a loan deal worth $11 million with a buy option included that would go up to $27 million. Add-ons of a further $5 million have also been added to the contract. Though Fiorentina had preferred a permanent deal United opted for a loan deal instead to comply with the FFP rules.
Understand Sofyan Amrabat has already completed first part of medical tests as new Manchester United player! 🚨🔴
🛩️ He’s now set to fly to Manchester in order to complete €10m loan move.
Documents being prepared between clubs with Fiorentina. pic.twitter.com/2aSEcLhy29
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 1, 2023
This is a literal bargain of a price based on the current market standards to get a player of such caliber for such a nominal fee. Amrabat will join the likes of Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, and Sergio Reguilon on the list of incoming players on this United team.
According to several reports, Amrabat is set to earn $4.5 million–$5 million per season, excluding performance-related bonuses, even though the exact amount of salary is still yet to be revealed. This is a very pivotal signing for United, with Fred out of the club and Donny van de Beek also on his way.
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