Manchester United could well be set to continue their summer spending spree after striking a deal for Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund, with the towering Dane potentially set to be followed to Old Trafford by fellow Serie A star, Sofyan Amrabat.
What's the latest on Amrabat to Man United?
According to reports in Italy, the Red Devils are believed to have already lodged a bid for the Fiorentina maestro, with the 26-year-old potentially set to be up for grabs with just a year left to run on his current deal.
As per prior speculation, the former Club Brugge ace – who previously worked under Erik ten Hag at FC Utrecht – may have already reached an agreement with regard to personal terms with the Premier League side, with a transfer fee of roughly £30m having also been mooted.
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Despite United having already splashed out £55m in order to sign their new number seven, Mason Mount from rivals Chelsea, the club are seemingly set to further bolster their midfield ranks with the pursuit of the Moroccan international.
Who could Amrabat replace at Man United?
Various reports have indicated that Ten Hag and co are set to move for the 6 foot 1 ace once the likes of Fred and Donny van de Beek have been shipped off to pastures new, with the former Ajax boss needing to make space in his midfield department.
Those two outgoing figures may not be the only first-team assets to suffer as a result of Amrabat's arrival, however, with the Netherlands-born gem's role as something of a deep-lying playmaker potentially set to spell bad news for Christian Eriksen at the Theatre of Dreams.
The experienced Dane enjoyed a promising debut campaign in Manchester after signing on a free transfer last summer, racking up ten assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, having slotted in nicely alongside Casemiro at the base of the midfield.
Despite that strong impact, the 31-year-old did appear somewhat off the pace after returning from injury in April, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst notably writing that the former Tottenham Hotspur man 'could barely keep up' when faced with Manchester City's midfield in the FA Cup final.
Those shortcomings have seemingly continued in pre-season with Luckhurst again writing that Eriksen 'did not have the sharpest of games' in the recent defeat to Real Madrid, with younger, fresher legs, like Amrabat, potentially needed.
Lauded as a "monster" by journalist Carlo Garganese amid his form at last year's World Cup, the latter man is able to provide a greater defensive presence than that of the current United ace, having averaged two tackles and interceptions per game in 29 Serie A outings last term, while Eriksen averaged just 1.2 in that regard from 28 Premier League appearances.
Amrabat's quality and composure on the ball can also be seen by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for pass completion and in the top 8% for progressive passes, indicating that he regularly looks to set up his attack-minded teammates.
While Eriksen is only just behind in that latter metric as he ranks in the top 9% for progressive passes, the one-time Brentford maestro only ranks in the bottom 41% for pass completion, having proven more of a liability on the ball.
That should indicate that if Ten Hag is to bring in another familiar face in the form of Amrabat, then Eriksen could well find himself quickly shunted down the pecking order.
