Jose Mourinho’s projected first signing for PSG spells bad news for both Liverpool and Barcelona.
Santi Aouna of FootMercato reports that Jose Mourinho and Thiago Motta are competing for the position of PSG manager next season. If Mourinho is selected, he is likely to bring Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat with him to Paris. Mourinho has already spoken to Amrabat’s agent about making him a key player in the PSG midfield.
This could be bad news for Barcelona and Liverpool, both of whom have shown interest in the player and could try to sign him again in the summer. Fiorentina has promised Amrabat a sale if they receive a bid of €40 million. The club rejected numerous offers for the midfielder during the January transfer window, including a Deadline Day bid from Barcelona, who proposed a loan deal with an option to make the transfer permanent in the summer for around €37m.
Fiorentina rejected the offer and were unhappy with the timing of the approach, which unsettled the player. They did, however, promise Amrabat that he would be allowed to leave in the summer. While his preference is Barcelona, PSG is believed to be able to offer more money to both the club and the player.
Amrabat stars at 2022 World Cup
Amrabat starred at 2022 World Cup
Sofyan Amrabat played a key role for Morocco during the World Cup 2022, where he was arguably the team’s best midfielder. He produced a series of dominant performances in the center of midfield as Morocco defeated Belgium in the group stages, followed by Spain in the last-16 and Portugal in the quarter-finals. Despite losing to France in the semi-finals and to Croatia in the third and fourth place playoff, Amrabat’s performances were highly impressive.
Amrabat’s contract at Fiorentina is set to expire in the summer of 2024. Since joining from Hellas Verona in 2020, he has become one of the best central midfielders in Italy and his performances this season have helped Fiorentina reach the final of the Coppa Italia and the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.