Manchester United are interested in signing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat - a player Erik ten Hag knows very well.
Amrabat, 26, is best known for being a Moroccan hero after helping his country become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in Qatar last year. Yet it was under Ten Hag at Dutch side Utrecht where the player made a name for himself.
Amrabat became one of Ten Hag's most dependable stars, playing 38 games during the 2016-17 season to help Utrecht finish fourth in the Eredivisie and qualify for Europe. That success secured Amrabat a move to Feyenoord and his manager a crack at the Ajax job.
It's Amrabat's reputation as an "unyielding" fighter that Ten Hag really admires. The Dutchman sees similar qualities in his vice-skipper Bruno Fernandes, who will surely become United's next club captain if Harry Maguire leaves Old Trafford this summer.
After impressing at Utrecht, Amrabat joined Eredivisie champions Feyenoord in the summer of 2017. He made an immediate impact at De Kuip, playing 31 games during his one and only season with Feyenoord to win the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup.
Amrabat was also named as the Eredivisie's Player of the Month in November 2017, shortly before a game against Utrecht the following month. That was due to be one of Ten Hag's final games in charge of Utrecht before taking the Ajax job, but it was postponed due to heavy snow. Yet the pre-match press conference still took place.
As quoted by Dutch outlet AD, Ten Hag said: "Souf is imperturbable, unyielding. That is an additional quality. He will and must play, even if he has to go over five walls or through five walls. And even if he has to fight for it for weeks or months."
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Ten Hag said something similar when talking about Fernandes after the 2-2 draw at Tottenham in April. The Portuguese playmaker was suffering with a foot injury at the time, but he was determined to push through the pain barrier (or walls, if you will).
Ten Hag said: "He [Fernandes] absolutely did not wish to miss this game – and every game. I think he is the example, that you have to suffer, have to decide if you wish to sacrifice, if you want to play or don’t play, if at this level you want to achieve something."
That willingness to give everything to the cause - to "sacrifice" - is exactly the attitude Ten Hag demands from his players. That was evident when he cancelled his team's day off after their embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Brentford 11 months ago.
But what are the chances of United signing Amrabat? The midfielder has a year left on his contract and it's believed Fiorentina want €30million (£26m) for his services. "We have not received any bid or proposal for him at all," Fiorentina's chief executive Barone has told reporters. "He’s a Fiorentina player now. If an offer comes, we will consider it."
Amrabat also still has a good relationship with Ten Hag, as his brother Nordin recently revealed to ESPN. The former Watford star said: "I know that Ten Hag is charmed by my brother, he broke through under him. And they have a good relationship, so who knows."
As Amrabat's sibling suggests, anything can happen. United fans, watch this space.
