Now would be the ‘perfect time’ to sell Sofyan Amrabat as Premier League giants Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur eye up Morocco’s breakout World Cup star, former Fiorentina ace Gianluca Comotto tells Firenze Viola.
It was a feature of this Morocco squad; players out of favour or out of form at club level, raising their game dramatically on the biggest of stages.
Take Hakim Ziyech for instance. An afterthought at Chelsea, a talismanic figure for his country. Striker Youssouf En-Nesyri, meanwhile, scored more goals over in Qatar than across 15 La Liga games this season for Sevilla.
Amrabat too produced arguably the best football of his career as Morocco became the first African team in 92 years to reach the World Cup semi-finals, catching the eye of Tottenham and Liverpool along the way.
But Amrabat, Comotto points out, is not quite so influential at the heart of a Fiorentina team who, unlike Morocco, prefer to dominate possession. Only Napoli average higher possession stats than La Viola in the current Serie A season (WhoScored).
Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool like Morocco’s World Cup star Sofyan Amrabat
“We’re talking about a player I know very well. When I worked at Fiorentina, I went to see him many times at (former club Hellas) Verona,” says Comotto; a former right-back who spent three years as Fiorentina’s head of scouting.
“Amrabat is a player who gives his all when his teams don’t have possession. He is a great ball retriever.
“At Fiorentina, for me, (coach Vincenzo Italiano) seems to be looking for other characteristics. So it would be the perfect time to sell Amrabat.”
Amrabat did showcase a different, more progressive side of his game as the tournament went on. Though doubts remain about whether the former Feyenoord youngster can emulate his outstanding World Cup form at club level. Particularly in a Fiorentina side who’s style of play is far removed to that of Morocco’s deep-lying, counter-attacking approach.
As such, it may make sense for La Viola to strike while the iron is hot; cash in on the £35 million-rated Amrabat when his price-tag is at it’s highest, before reinvesting that sum in a player better suited to Italiano’s blueprint.
Per Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool have met with Amrabat’s representatives; Jurgen Klopp and sporting director Julian Ward big fans of the tireless 26-year-old. Tottenham remain in contention too, despite missing out on Amrabat in a previous window.
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