Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat is one of Morocco’s heroes at the World Cup in Qatar and he was not far away from joining Tottenham earlier this year.
The 26-year-old Viola midfielder has been one of the Atlas Lions’ best performers at the tournament, seemingly covering every blade of grass on the pitch as he works to drive his nation further in Qatar.
Amrabat was a key reason why Morocco beat Spain to book their spot in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, the furthest they’ve ever been in the competition, and his work has attracted the attention of top clubs around Europe.
Gianluca Di Marzio recounts how Tottenham were close to securing Amrabat’s signature in the January 2022 transfer window. Six months prior, he was wanted by Atalanta and Napoli, but Fiorentina made it clear that they weren’t willing to sell.
In January, Tottenham launched a serious attempt to sign the 26-year-old Moroccan midfielder and talks between the two clubs went positively. The move was to be a loan deal with a buy option attached, but things quickly went wrong in the final stages of the transfer window.
On transfer deadline day, Fiorentina ended up completing a deal to send Erick Pulgar to Galatasaray on loan, and so decided not to let Amrabat depart to North London.
One year later, Amrabat’s market value has skyrocketed and now it may be impossible for the Viola to fend off buyers.