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Liverpool's summer midfield target Sofyan Amrabat has said that he had no doubts about joining Manchester United.
The Red Devils had a long-standing interest in the Moroccan midfielder since the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They left it late to sign him, finalizing a €10 million loan move on deadline day from Fiorentina.
Manchester United's delay in acquiring Amrabat gave Liverpool the chance to swoop in and snatch the 27-year-old midfielder from under their noses. They were, after all, desperately on the lookout for a new defensive midfielder after missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.
According to GOAL, the Reds were keen to sign Amrabat but ended up signing Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich before the September 1 deadline. For the Moroccan, the choice was apparently always clear.
In a recent interview, the defensive midfielder said (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on X, formerly known as Twitter):
"It was an easy decision to join Man United. I had no doubts at all. I knew for a long time that United were interested. For me, it was clear that the only place I wanted to play was here. I had to be very patient."
Amrabat has appeared in five games across competitions for Erik ten Hag's team, who have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season for €25 million.
Manchester United and Liverpool interested in young Benfica midfielder - reports
Benfica have long been a club cultivating young talents that European superclubs buy for a fortune.
Fiorentino Luis seems to be the next big thing coming out of the Estadio da Luz. According to journalist Graeme Bailey, both Liverpool and Manchester United are keeping an eye on the 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder.
Bailey said on the Talking Transfers podcast (h/t CaughtOffside):
"A lot of people like Florentino Luis, (Joao) Neves’ midfield partner at Benfica. Liverpool like him a lot, and Manchester United have had a look as well."
Luis plays as a No. 6 and could be a good fit for Jurgen Klopp's team, who saw Fabinho leave for Al-Ittihad this summer. Manchester United have Sofyan Amrabat, Scott McTominay and Casemiro as their options in defensive midfield.
Luis has been at Benfica since 2010, making 93 senior appearances across competitions. His current contract expires in 2027.
