1 year ago
193 The summer transfer window saw a whirlwind of activity at Liverpool as the Reds sought to bolster their midfield ranks.
Not only did Liverpool lose several midfielders to expiring contracts, but then Jordan Henderson and Fabinho opted to join the Saudi Pro League.
In the end, the Reds brought in four new midfielders and, it’s a case of ‘all’s well that ends well’, with Liverpool now second in the Premier League table.
Now, according to the Daily Mail, Jurgen Klopp’s charges were just 24 hours again from signing a player deemed ‘the World Cup’s best midfielder’.
Liverpool were being heavily linked with Morocco international Sofyan Amrabat during the summer window.
As per the Mail, Klopp was said to have phoned the 27-year-old personally in a bid to persuade him to join Liverpool.
The report in United Confidential claims that the problem arose inside the Amrabat camp as talks were allegedly put on hold for 24 hours.
It was during this period that Liverpool decided to go back to Gravenberch who, at 21, was viewed as a younger and better fit for Klopp’s needs.
Gravenberch duly joined the Reds for a reported £34.2million, while Amrabat linked up with Manchester United on a loan with option to buy for £21.4million next summer.
Our view
Many Liverpool fans will probably be happy with the Gravenberch outcome. Sure, he cost around £13million more, but he’s at the start of his career and has a lot of potential.
That said, Amrabat wouldn’t have been a bad shout for the Reds. He is in his prime, and has proven himself for club and country.
Amrabat helped Fiorentina reach the Europa Conference League final, and in December, he steered Morocco to the World Cup semi-finals.
Indeed, Football Transfers described him as the “World Cup’s best midfielder”, and there was certainly a good case for it.
It’ll be interesting to see how the two midfielders fare when Liverpool and Manchester United lock horns, first in December and then in April.
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