During the World Cup, a Manchester United official was discussing a team's performances and why they were misleading.
There is a dichotomy at United and the manager still just about pulls rank. Amrabat ticks a couple of boxes for Erik ten Hag: born in the Netherlands, played in the Eredivisie and played under him.The feelers from United all summer have been they, aside from Ten Hag, are not wholly convinced by Amrabat. If they were, they would not have made such a derisory loan offer to Fiorentina, never mind left it so late.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was furnished with a needless three-year contract in July 2021 and he filmed an exit interview in November. He ought to have gone sooner but United had no contingency plan. Last year, the United recruitment department was overruled on their recommendation for a left-footed centre-back, Pau Torres. Ten Hag pushed for Lisandro Martinez and nobody would dispute that call. Martinez has been more Marcos Rojo in the first three games but he has been a stellar signing.
Amrabat, a 27-year-old defensive midfielder with international pedigree, would be a worthy squad addition. United need a younger defensive-minded alternative to Casemiro. "When do you want a striker in, Erik?" a journalist asked Ten Hag in New Jersey last month. " Last year!" he laughed. Hojlund was conspicuous by his absence from training imagery on Tuesday and United have still not assigned the Dane a squad number.