Manchester United have reportedly decided against a permanent deal for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, as they are not prepared to pay the Viola's modest asking price.
The Morocco international spent the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Old Trafford but failed to initially impress under Erik ten Hag, leading to questions about whether he was suited to the Premier League.
However, Amrabat came good for Man United towards the end of the season, taking home an FA Cup winners' medal after playing the full 90 in the Red Devils' triumph over Manchester City in the final.
The 28-year-old ended his temporary spell at Old Trafford with 30 appearances in all competitions, including 10 Premier League starts, although he failed to notch a single goal or assist.
Man United did not activate their option to sign Amrabat on a permanent deal, but his strong end to the season reignited speculation that the midfielder could stay at the Theatre of Dreams after all.
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Amrabat's hopes of Man United move 'over'
Amrabat himself is said to have been 'dreaming' of going back to Man United, and as he is in the last year of his contract with Fiorentina, the Italian side are willing to let him go relatively cheaply.
However, according to Corriere dello Sport - via Sport Witness - Man United are not prepared to meet Fiorentina's €15m (£12.7m) asking price, and a deal is now dead in the water.
Amid the frequent transfer speculation, Amrabat has been re-integrated into the Fiorentina ranks and has played the full 90 in both of their first two Serie A matches of the campaign.
The Moroccan - who rose to prominence during his nation's run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals - has come up with one goal and one assist in 110 matches for La Viola, who paid €19.5m (£16.5m) to prise him away from Hellas Verona in 2020.
What the future holds for Amrabat beyond the summer of 2025 is unclear, but Man United refusing to pay a modest asking price for the midfielder perhaps indicates that they are close to another engine room capture.
Man United choose Manuel Ugarte over Amrabat?
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In the prime of his career at 28 years old and proving his worth to Ten Hag at the end of the season, a £12.7m swoop for Amrabat may have been a no-brainer at first glance, especially with the Moroccan allegedly desperate to return.
However, the Red Devils' refusal to fork out that fee likely means that they are confident of striking a deal for another number six in the coming days, specifically Paris Saint-Germain's Manuel Ugarte.
The FA Cup holders have been working on a deal for the Uruguay international for a number of weeks, and a move is now believed to be close to completion thanks to Scott McTominay's imminent switch to Napoli.
Ugarte could join Man United on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy next summer, at which point Casemiro may call time on his Old Trafford career, with the Brazilian seemingly set to stay for at least one more year.
Man United suffered a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in Saturday's Premier League clash and return to action at home to Liverpool on September 1.
Ben Knapton
