Man Utd in danger of having deal hijacked by Mourinho as 'second proposal' sent

Manchester United could face competition when attempting to bring back Sofyan Amrabat with Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce interested.


The Moroccan played 30 times for the Red Devils during his loan last year, mainly rotating with Casemiro as United won the FA Cup. Aside from the trophy, however, Amrabat and United's season was lacklustre.

The club fell to its worst-ever Premier League finish, ending in eighth spot. And Erik ten Hag allowed the midfielder to return to his parent club, Fiorentina, this summer.

If United wish to sign the holding player permanently, they may have to act fast. Mourinho’s Fenerbahce have reportedly submitted two proposals for Amrabat already and are keen on bringing him to Turkey.

United's loan deal included an option to purchase Amrabat for £16.8million, but according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Ten Hag allowed that to expire - perhaps with the aim of signing him for less.

The Moroccan was coy when discussing his plans for the upcoming campaign, refusing to confirm whether he would stay at Old Trafford. "Do I already know what I’m going to do next year? No," Amrabat told Ziggo Sport after United's FA Cup final win.

"We are going to talk. Staying is certainly an option. Look, I think it has been a very difficult season. For Manchester United, it needs to be much better, and also for me personally.

"We are going to talk. Manchester United are the biggest club in the world, so who wouldn’t want to play football here? But all parties have to be happy with each other," the 27-year-old continued. "We will sit down now and see what happens."

Turkish media report that the initial Fenerbahce bid for the midfielder was £8.6m, but after that was rebuffed, they returned with a £10m offer. A deal may soon be reached between Mourinho's side and the Italian club, though it remains unclear whether Ambrabat would agree to it and if he has his sights set on a return to United.

The Moroccan started regularly under Ten Hag at the end of the season, but his worry may be that the Red Devils have set their sights on an expensive upgrade. Defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte is atop Ten Hag's wish-list this summer. The out-of-favour PSG man is an ideal candidate to replace the ageing Casemiro.

The Uruguayan only arrived in the French capital last summer for £51m from Sporting CP, but he has not hit the ground running and is deemed surplus to requirements by Luis Enrique.

The main hurdle to overcome with the deal is price. Personal terms have reportedly been agreed upon, but United's initial bids have been rejected. Les Parisiens hope to recoup most of the nearly £50m they spent just a year prior.

If more players leave, such as Casemiro, who has been linked with a Saudi Pro League switch, then the funds gathered could be used on Ugarte. This would surely spell the end of Amrabat's hope of a return and could see him settle for the Fenerbahce move.