After being knocked out the World Cup in the quarter-finals by France, Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have missed the opportunity to share the pitch with a reported transfer target for their club Liverpool.
Unexpectedly, Morocco have advanced to the semi-finals, becoming the first African country to do so. They’ve stunned two big nations in Spain and Portugal to reach this point and they face another big challenge in France later tonight.
France, of course, got the better of an England side featuring Liverpool captain Henderson on Saturday. Had Gareth Southgate's side progressed, Henderson and possibly his Reds and Three Lions team-mate Alexander-Arnold would have been facing a Morocco side this evening for whom Sofyan Amrabat has starred in Qatar.
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Amrabat's performances in midfield, where he has shown true quality and desire, are said to have caught the eye of many big clubs, Liverpool included. According to reports, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has met with the Amrabat’s representatives and the talks were positive, so much so that they plan to meet again after the World Cup.
By that time the 26-year-old could even be a World Cup winner. So how has he reached this point?
Born in the Netherlands, Amrabat started his senior career in 2014, playing for Utrecht. But it was not until the 2016-17 season that he truly nailed down a place in a team that was then managed by now Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag was key in Amrabat's development, moving the promising Moroccan higher up the field. And his form didn’t go unnoticed as reigning Eredivisie champions, Feyenoord, snapped him up for a reported $4m in the summer of 2017.
Amrabat spent one full season in Rotterdam, collecting winners' medal in the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield, before moving to Club Brugge. He made 30 appearances for the Belgian side before moving on again, this time to Italy, with a loan switch to Hellas Verona.
Amrabat proved an inspired purchase as he was named Verona's player of the season for the 2019-20 campaign, which was the club's first in Serie A after winning immediate promotion back to the Italian top-flight.
He also made Verona a tidy profit. Midway through the season, they signed the then 23-year-old on a permanent basis for a pre-agreed price of €3.5m before immediately selling him to Fiorentina for a fee of €20m.
Amrabat played out the remainder of the campaign at Verona, helping them finish ninth, before making the move to Fiorentina in the summer of 2020.
He has remained at the Viola ever since, making 78 appearances and scoring one goal in the past two-and-a-half seasons, and displaying all the traits of a defensive midfielder that Klopp would desire. They are also traits that have caught the eye of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with the veteran AC Milan striker telling Sky Italy: "Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Sofyan Amrabat for sure were the most notable players I've watched this season in Italy."
Amrabat, the younger brother of former Watford winger Nordin Amrabat, is especially efficient in the tackling department and his passing ability is second to none. According to infogol , he has an extremely impressive tackle completion rate at 75% in Serie A, and an outstanding 87% in the World Cup.
His passing has also been magnificent for club and country, with a pass completion rate of 91% in Serie A this season, ranking him among the league's best ball players. His work ethic on and off the ball has also been integral to Morocco’s success in Qatar.
Atlas Lions manager Walid Regragui has deployed Amrabat - who represented the Netherlands at youth level before switching allegiances to Morocco, the birthplace of his parents - as a single pivot in front of the backline, his role to circulate the ball and defend the zone just in front on the centre-backs, dropping beside them if needed.
He also looks comfortable playing with two more attack-minded midfielders in front of him, which would suit Klopp’s famous 4-3-3 formation at Liverpool.
Whether Amrabat ends up on Merseyside remains to be seen, but another excellent performance against France tonight could aid his chances.
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