As Barcelona prepare for life after captain Sergio Busquets, they have been linked with several midfielders over the course of the past few months.
Ruben Neves’ name has been mentioned heavily but the Wolves ace does not generate consensus within the staff. Martin Zubimendi is another name that is linked strongly, but his €60 million valuation makes the Real Sociedad star’s signing difficult.
Hence, Barcelona are on the lookout for other alternatives and one such option that has popped up on their radars, according to Toni Juanmarti, is Fiorentina and Morocco midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
The 26-year-old has been a consistent performer for his club, but has hit a whole new level at the World Cup with the Moroccan national team. Indeed, Amrabat played a huge role in the African nation enjoying a stunning run to the semi-finals, beating the likes of Belgium, Spain, and Portugal along the way.
It has seemingly put him on Barcelona’s radar, along with his national teammate Azzedine Ounahi, who plays for Ligue 1 side Angers SCO.
Amrabat, for his part, recently insisted that he was honoured to be linked with clubs of the stature of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, saying:
“It is a great honour to be linked to such clubs. Right now I am playing for Fiorentina. I have a lot of respect for my club, it’s a great team.”
The report indicates that Barça have already asked about the possibility of signing Amrabat in the summer transfer window. However, Fiorentina’s €40 million asking price for the Moroccan midfield general has presented itself as a hurdle for the La Liga leaders.
Until recently, Amrabat’s market value was believed to be around €10 million. But his stunning displays at the World Cup have meant that the Viola have decided to jack up the price.
Furthermore, it is also claimed that the Serie A outfit could look forward to selling Amrabat in the winter itself, given that his contract expires in 2024. It would mean he will be entering the final year of his deal in the summer, when they might not receive full value for him.
The report further indicates that Fiorentina might already have received some offers for Amrabat for the winter window, which puts Barcelona further in a position of disadvantage. It is claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are one of the clubs most interested in his signing.
So, as things stand, despite Barcelona’s interest in Amrabat, his signing looks difficult, unless he remains at Fiorentina until the end of the season and does not pen a new deal, which could see his valuation decrease somewhat.
