Sofyan Amrabat showed exactly why Liverpool reportedly want to sign him with a sensational challenge on Kylian Mbappe last night.
Amrabat lined up for the biggest game of his career on Wednesday as Morocco took on France in the World Cup semi-final. Unfortunately, it proved to be one step too far for the Atlas Lions. It’s the World Champions who progress into Sunday’s final after a 2-0 win.
But that didn’t stop Amrabat from showing the watching world why he’s become so sought after. As per BBC Sport on Twitter, the 26-year-old showed remarkable pace to keep up with the lightning-fast Mbappe.
Having seen the PSG superstar skip past him down the left wing, Amrabat put on the burners. Not many can catch Mbappe in full flight, and the commentator clearly thought that the Moroccan was done for.
“Mbappe’s off on his travels, Amarabat won’t catch him,” he said. But the Fiorentina midfielder had other ideas.
As Mbappe cut inside onto his right foot, Amrabat absolutely ploughed into one of the best tackles you’ll see all season. The challenge takes place right on the by-line, but not only did he win the ball, Amrabat also kept it in play, and then drove away with it. Sensational stuff, get him to Anfield!
Amrabat passing audition with flying colours
In one, 15-second video, Amrabat has just shown exactly why Liverpool could do with him. Fast and aggressive in the tackle, he looks like everything we’ve been missing from Fabinho this season.
That’s not to say that he’s better than Fab, he almost certainly isn’t. But as someone to take the load off the Brazilian and maybe eventually take over from him, Amrabat looks like a great fit.
Clips such as the one shown here do have a downside, though. With the Morocco midfielder elevating his status in the game to such an extent in Qatar, there may now be several more interested parties than before the tournament began.
It may also drive up his price. Recent reports have tended to put Amrabat’s availability at around the £26m mark. However, Fiorentina reportedly don’t want to sell him, which could lead to this shooting up.
That is something that Liverpool will want to avoid. To do so, they should push ahead with reported planned talks with the player as soon as they can.
With Morocco now out of the competition and the January window less than three weeks away, expect the rumour mill to go into overdrive. Amrabat has surely earned himself a big move somewhere. Let’s hope it’s to Liverpool.
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