Liverpool and Barcelona have reportedly renewed their interest in Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.
The Moroccan put big clubs in Europe on alert with his impressive display for his country at the World Cup in Qatar last year.
Liverpool was one of the strong admirers of Amrabat and pushed to snap him up in January.
According to a report by Dailymail, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ‘attended a meeting to try to convince the Moroccan World Cup star to join Liverpool.
However, the Fiorentina midfielder was reportedly keen on signing for Atletico Madrid, and Fiorentina refused to do business in midseason. But the switch never materialised, and Amrabat remained in Florence.
And now, with Fiorentina unlikely to finish in the top six this season, the player could be on the move this summer.
According to reports, Liverpool and Barcelona could be his likely destination. Foot Mercato reports that the Reds and the Catalan giants are one of five cubs interested in snapping him up this summer. The other four are Atletico Madrid, Tottenham, Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain.
The report adds that Amrabat’s reported preference will be to play in La Liga, given how close Spain is to Morocco and the success of Moroccan players in the league. His desire to play in Spain has given the Spanish sides an edge, with Barca considered favourites.
Meanwhile, Amrabat has made 24 appearances for Fiorentina this season in the Serie A but has contributed zero goals or assists. His key character isn’t in attack, though. Instead, his defensive contribution is why Europe’s biggest teams are interested in his services.
The 26-year-old averaged 2.3 tackles per game in the World Cup for Morocco. In Serie A, he averages 1.2 tackles per game and 0.8 intercessions per game.
However, that defensive output is slightly lower than Fabinho, who has averaged 1.8 tackles per game in all competitions this season and 1.1 intercessions in all competitions.
Yet, Liverpool considers Amrabat a great addition to their ageing midfield, which is due for a revamp this season.
