Of all the players at the Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as Belgium and Morocco went head to head in the World Cup group-stages, Sofyan Amrabat is not the first name that would have come to mind when the phrase ‘world-class’ is brought up.
Kevin de Bruyne certainly. Achraf Hakimi, perhaps. But not the younger brother of former Watford winger Nordin; a diminutive 26-year-old defensive midfielder plying his trade for a Fiorentina team sitting tenth in Italy’s Serie A.
But, after a ferocious display against a team placed second in FIFA’s World Rankings, there was no doubt in the mind of Morocco coach Walid Regragui.
“Trust me, Amrabat is a world-class player. He is a key player in my plans,” Regragui said; Amrabat setting the tone and laying the foundations for a statement 2-0 win for the North African nation.
“I expect him to move to one of the major European clubs after the World Cup.”
Liverpool could swoop for World Cup ace Sofyan Amrabat after Tottenham move collapsed
With Corriere dello Sport claiming that Amrabat’s tireless, tigerish performances over in Qatar have caught the eye of Premier League giants Liverpool, Regragui’s premonition could become reality. And sooner rather than later.
Jurgen Klopp wants a tough-tackling midfield enforcer to add some much-needed energy to his ageing midfield. The likes of Florentino Luis (Benfica) and Moises Caicedo (Brighton) have also been linked already. And Amrabat – who possesses that N’Golo Kante-like ability to dominate a match despite his diminutive frame – fits the bill too.
It was him, after all, who restricted De Bruyne to the role of a frustrated spectator at the Al Thumama. Arguably the best player on the pitch during Morocco’s greatest ever World Cup performance.
“We have a successor to (former Feyenoord captain Ahmed) El Ahmadi in Morocco; Sofyan Amrabat,” ex-Dutch international Hans Kraay Jr tells ESPN.
“I have never seen him play so well. Not in the Netherlands and not in Italy. He can steal so many balls without fouling people.”
Amrabat, Fabrizio Romano explains, was ‘one step away’ from sealing a potential £12 million move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021. The deal collapsed after he opted to commit his future to Fiorentina.
With Liverpool now offering Amrabat the chance to develop further under a coach of Jurgen Klopp’s reputation, while playing Champions League football season-in, season-out, a potential move to Merseyside could prove to be a much tougher test of Amrabat’s loyalty.
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