There is no better way to bow out than with an FA Cup win at Wembley over your local rivals. If this is to be Erik ten Hag’s final game in charge of Manchester United, then the Dutchman can leave Old Trafford with his head held high and with a medal around his neck.
Raphael Varane is a formidable defender who will be departing Manchester United this summer when his contract expires. He made the announcement less than two weeks ago.
The fates of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof—late substitutes—are all still up in the air. Regarding Sofyan Amrabat, a number of reports claim that the decision has already been made and that Manchester United will not activate the £21 million option-to-buy clause in his contract.
However, this kind of behaviour indicates that the loanee from Fiorentina might still be included in United’s plans.
Sofyan Amrabat shines in Manchester United FA Cup win
To put it succinctly, this was the kind of performance that initially brought him to Manchester United. Rewinding time to late 2022, the Moroccan masterclassist delivered a performance evocative of his devastating World Cup run in Qatar.
Only Varane and Marcus Rashford outperformed Ten Hag with a pass completion percentage of 92% (WhoScored). In front of a disciplined defence four, Amrabat also offered a solid, collected presence that allowed Kobbie Mainoo the freedom he needed to double United’s lead at the end of the half.
“A very big compliment to the coach. (Ten Hag) prepared us so well,” a beaming Amrabat told Ziggo Sport. “This is exactly the plan we wanted, and what he said came true.
“We just had to keep it compact, keep the spaces very small, work really hard and then hope to do something during transitions.
“I think we scored two perfect goals and gave away very little. In the end, all in all, it was a perfect plan and we executed it to perfection.”
Fiorentina loanee opens up on Old Trafford future
When pressed on whether he will be staying put beyond the summer, Amrabat issued a rather eye-opening response. As far as he is concerned – and contrary to the reports – no decision has been made just yet.
“Do I already know what I’m going to do next year? No. We are going to talk,” adds the 27-year-old, who previously worked with Ten Hag at Utrecht in the Eredivisie.
“Staying is certainly an option. Look, I think it has been a very difficult season. For Manchester United it needs to be much better, and also for me personally.
“(The season) wasn’t easy. I have always remained calm and trained very hard. Ultimately, that patience has been rewarded.
‘We are going to talk. Manchester United are the biggest club in the world, so who wouldn’t want to play football here? But all parties have to be happy with each other, so we will sit down now and see what happens.”
Leave a Reply