A claim has emerged on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Sofyan Amrabat ahead of the upcoming January window...
What's the talk?
Journalist Ed Aarons has suggested that the central midfielder, who is currently competing at the World Cup in Qatar for Morocco, would be suited to Antonio Conte's formation.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said:
“I think, potentially, he’s a little bit what they’ve already got in a way.
“I think a lot of Tottenham fans want them to try and get a more creative midfielder, but in that system, it’s hard to have someone like that, you need kind of two pivots.
“But he’s really good at that, he’s got loads of experience as well. I think I remember seeing him much earlier in his career at a youth tournament, and it seems like he’s been around for ages.
“Obviously, his older brother Nordin Amrabat was at Watford for a bit as well, but he’s very important for Morocco with the tempo that they try to play under the new manager.”
Dream signing
Amrabat could, therefore, be a dream signing for Conte during the January transfer window as he would be able to slot in as one of the midfielders in the double pivot, whether that be alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Yves Bissouma, or Rodrigo Bentancur.
Italian publication La Repubblica (via Viola News) recently claimed that Spurs are interested in snapping up the Morocco international ahead of the second half of the campaign and the Tottenham head coach could love him as an option in the middle of the park.
Amrabat's recent performances for his country at the World Cup have offered a glimpse of what he is capable of providing in midfield at the top level.
Football writer Adepoju Tobi Samuel claimed that the gem "does not get enough credit" and hailed the 26-year-old as Morocco's best player in the tournament, whilst reporter Alvaro Canibe described him as a "tiger".
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.90 across his side's three group stage matches as they topped their table, beating Belgium and Canada, whilst also drawing with Croatia.
In those games, the 26-year-old completed 89% of his attempted passes and made six tackles, five interceptions, and five clearances for his team, as per Sofascore.
These statistics show that he has the ability to perform to an impressive standard whilst playing at the pinnacle of international football, with the underrated enforcer providing steel in front of the defence with his excellent defensive contributions.
Oliver Skipp (6.67) and Bissouma (6.64) have struggled to make an impact in the Premier League, with their average ratings, this season and Amrabat's form at the World Cup indicates that he would be a major upgrade on both of them.
Therefore, the Fiorentina gem could be a dream signing for Conte as he would improve the depth of the squad whilst perfectly suiting the double pivot in midfield that the Italian coach likes to deploy.