Man Utd make final decision on £17m star as Ten Hag drops ‘not good’ verdict on big-money signing

Manchester United have reportedly decided to focus on other midfield targets after rejecting the chance to sign Sofyan Amrabat on a permanent deal.

The Fiorentina star spent last season on loan at Old Trafford but his performances failed to live up to expectations, and he made just 10 Premier League starts.

Erik ten Hag clearly wasn’t fully convinced by Amrabat and according to reports from Italy, the Red Devils’ sporting director Dan Ashworth has made the ‘final decision’ not to trigger the £16.8m buy option clause in the Moroccan international’s loan agreement.

It’s claimed that Amrabat has now returned to Fiorentina and has ‘made himself available’ to their new manager Raffaele Palladino.

This comes after Man Utd ‘communicated’ to Amrabat that they will not be signing him on a permanent deal, despite his ‘dream’ being to continue at Old Trafford.

There have been rumours that Ashworth is exploring another loan deal for the 27-year-old, but Fiorentina would prefer a sale if he’s to leave again.

There is interest in Amrabat from ‘other Premier League sides’ and the race for his signature is expected to heat up in the next couple of weeks.

READ MORE: Ten Hag standing firm over predicted £40m Man Utd sale to leave Newcastle, West Ham fretting

Man Utd’s full focus, for now, is on signing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who has already reached an agreement on personal terms with them.

They also failed with a last-minute attempt to sign Amadou Onana from Everton after he agreed to join Aston Villa, and that transfer is now imminent.

Ten Hag drops ‘not good’ Antony verdict

Man Utd could also look to sign a new winger as a replacement for Antony, who has been linked with a potential move away from the club this summer.

The Dutchman joined for an eye-watering £85m in the summer of 2022 but has failed to live up to his price tag, scoring just 11 goals in 82 appearances for the Red Devils.

Erik ten Hag revealed that it was the Man Utd hierarchy that signed off on the huge transfer fee for the 24-year-old, admitting that his performances haven’t been up to standard so far.

“I don’t go over the budget. I’ve never even had a budget. At United, the budgets lie with the owners and management.

He [Antony] certainly showed that potential in the first month: he scored three times in his first three games. After that it became more difficult, last season was not good.

“But, I am still convinced that he has the potential to play at this club.”

Recent reports have suggested that Antony could be allowed to leave on loan this summer, but Man Utd will only allow it if a club agrees to pay his £70,000-per-week wages in full.

DON’T MISS: How Leny Yoro compares to current Man Utd centre-back options, with clear Martinez similarities