Liverpool are reported to want to 'test the ground' regarding a move for Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat, with the Serie A outfit hoping to cash in on the Moroccan midfielder this summer.
What's the latest on Sofyan Amrabat to Liverpool?
That's according to Italian outlet Fiorentina.it (via Sport Witness), with the belief being that Jurgen Klopp's Merseyside outfit will firm up their interest in the coming weeks after losing a large chunk of their midfield to contractual conclusion this month.
La Viola are demanding €35m (£30m) for the pass master, but thus far the piqued interest of possible suitors stretches only to around €25m (£22m), and Liverpool will feel that they can whittle down the club's valuation before completing a move.
Having completed a remarkable campaign as the engine for World Cup standouts Morocco and defeated Europa Conference League finalists Fiorentina, Amrabat may feel the time is right to move on, and with just one year remaining on his current deal, he will likely move this summer.
Should Liverpool sign Sofyan Amrabat?
Given Amrabat's excellence in playing the ball through the thirds, he could have been earmarked as the potential successor to Thiago Alcantara's role in the Liverpool squad.
Signing from Bayern Munich for an initial £20m in 2020, the slick and stylish Spaniard has captured the attention of the Premier League with his superlative ball-playing skills, even earning praise from talkSPORT's Tony Cascarino as "the most gifted player" he has ever seen in the Premier League, also saying “He’s up there with the very best. Technically, he’s got everything.”
Such a claim is corroborated by the metrics behind the magnificence, with the 32-year-old ranking among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 4% for progressive passes and the top 4% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
A graceful and distinguished maestro with an array of weapons at his disposal, acting as the metronome to keep Liverpool ticking, but given his age and the fact that his contract at Anfield expires in one year, Amrabat's signing could signal a changing of the guard.
Especially when factoring in the £200k-per-week gem's injury record, Thiago has missed 66 matches across three campaigns on English shores and Amrabat, who has missed just 11 fixtures during the same period, could be the heir.
Considering he ranks among the top 11% of positional peers for passes attempted, the top 5% for pass completion and the top 8% for progressive passes per 90, an ace every bit as assured with his feet would adopt the mantle, and with reporter Carlo Garganese hailing him as a "monster", he can provide Anfield with the all-encompassing component it needs to whir at full throttle.
He's already proved his worth against the highest calibre of Premier League opposition, waging a midfield battle against Declan Rice as West Ham United edged the Conference League final earlier this month, with football writer Muhammad Butt saying the touted Irons star was "getting taken to school" by the "criminally underrated" Moroccan phenom.
Still only 26-years-old, Amrabat could inject enthusiasm and tenacity into the Liverpool fold, emulating Thiago's presence on the pitch and playing with the consistent regularity that evades the former Bayern and Barcelona sensation in a perpetual cycle of inhibition.
