26-year-old midfielder rejected Chelsea and Manchester United bids in January and offered to play for Barcelona for free: Reports

Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat reportedly rejected Chelsea and Manchester United in the January transfer window. The Morocco international was keen on joining Barcelona and even offered to play for free.

According to a report by Achraf Ben Ayad, Amrabat skipped training on Deadline Day to push for an exit. However, the Catalan side could not agree on a deal with Fiorentina.

Barcelona offered to loan the midfielder but could not agree to an obligation to buy because of La Liga rules and their financial issues. The Serie A side were not happy with the terms and decided to reject the offer.

The midfielder eventually returned to training and apologized to his teammates and the staff for skipping training and pushing for a move to Barcelona. Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Italiano admitted that the midfielder was affected by the failed transfer but quickly apologized.

He said:

“Amrabat was shaken up by what happened, but he apologised and knows he must give everything until June. He is a top player. The only situation that went to the last minute was Amrabat, who was rightly left out of the training session, but when the transfer window closes, everything settles down."

He added:

"Amrabat stood up and apologised. The transfer market is a sporting tragedy for coaches, so it’s much better when it closes and we can focus on the game.”

Liverpool were also linked with the midfielder, but the Reds did not make a move.

Amrabat, 26, has played 27 games for the Italian side across competitions this season. He was also vital in Morocco's run to fourth spot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

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Chelsea tried to sign Manchester United target on deadline day

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Chelsea tried to sign Sofyan Amrabat before they sealed the deal for Enzo Fernandez. The Blues were desperate for the midfielder after selling Jorginho to Arsenal.

He tweeted:

“Chelsea explored Sofyan Amrabat as deadline day option before Enzo deal sealed. Direct contacts took place… but Fiorentina were never open to let him leave on loan. Many top clubs will keep following the Moroccan midfielder for the future.”

Manchester United were also interested in the Moroccan midfielder as they looked to bolster their midfield. They ended up signing Marcel Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Munich in the closing minutes of Deadline Day.