Sofyan Amrabat is still in pole position to succeed Sergio Busquets at Barcelona, reports Mundo Deportivo. The Moroccan international was already close to a transfer to the Catalan superpower after the World Cup, but then saw the deal collapse at the last minute. It should still come to a transfer next summer. Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is no longer among the candidates.
For Fiorentina last winter, only a definitive transfer, with an appropriate transfer fee, was an option. Amrabat then seemed to move to Barcelona before the transfer deadline expired, but that transfer ricocheted because Barcelona wanted to rent the midfielder born in Huizen with an option to buy. Fiorentina, however, stuck to its position and did not want to know anything about a rental period, so the transfer did not go through.
According to information from Mundo Deportivo however, the midfielder is still looking good in Catalonia. Xavi is most fond of Martín Zubimendi, but his €60 million escape clause is too much and too expensive for Barcelona. Zubimendi has a contract with Real Sociedad until mid-2027. Amrabat’s contract runs until next summer, which means that la Viola can’t ask for the top prize.
Relev wrote on Thursday that Jorge Mendes, Neves’ agent, would have proposed an exchange deal with Barcelona. Letting Ansu Fati make the way to Wolverhampton could significantly reduce the price of the Portuguese midfielder. However, Xavi does not feel anything for Neves’ arrival and seems to be putting everything on Amrabat. The athletic ability of the Moroccan controller in particular appeals to the Spanish coach.
Amrabat, who did not miss a minute at the World Cup with Morocco, has the club’s promise that he will be allowed to talk to interested clubs this summer. “That’s a promise they made when the chairman declined all offers in the winter,” agent Mohamed Sinouh said in April. For Fiorentina, the priority now lies first with the cup final against Internazionale and the semi-final of the Conference League against FC Basel.