Erik ten Hag faces a decision on whether to pursue West Ham's Declan Rice after another of his transfer targets dropped a major hint over a move to England.
Rice, 24, is widely being tipped to wave goodbye to the Hammers after their Europa Conference League final clash with Fiorentina on Wednesday night. And the England international has spoken of the "legacy" he wants to leave by helping the London club lift a first European trophy for 58 years.
United are lining up an £80million bid for the player, but face fierce competition with Rice reportedly favouring a move to Arsenal. Bundsesliga champions Bayern Munich have also made contact with West Ham with a bidding war set to ensue when the transfer window opens on June 14.
But Ten Hag has also been linked with an opponent who Rice will line-up against in the final in Budapest, Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat. The 26-year-old caught the attention of major clubs following a string of pivotal displays in the 2022 World Cup, helping Morocco become the first African country to reach the semi finals.
And the Italian club are reportedly open to offers this summer, and his words this week would have further alerted the Dutch boss. Speaking ahead of the final Amrabat told reporters: "Of course, the Premier League is a fantastic league, one of the strongest in the world. It would be nice to play there one day.
The former Feyenord man was also quick to keep his options open, but also dropped another hint over a move to British shores: But it's not that I want only to go to England, because Spain is nice, Serie A is a nice league," he added. "Football has changed a lot, it's more physical, you have more to be an athlete, the tempo and intensity is higher. Of course, in England the intensity is very high, so I think it could suit me."
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Despite Casemiro being one of the side's star performers in 2022/23, given he's 31 Ten Hag is keen to boost his long-term options in midfield. And with a deal for Chelsea's Mason Mount also nearing, the manager may now face a critical decision as to whether to swoop for Amrabat or risk a tug-of-war for Rice.
Amrabat has made 48 appearances in all competitions for his club this season, although an indication over his tendency to lie deep is that he's yet to get off the mark. His side have already missed out on one cup trophy this season, losing in the Coppa Italia final to Inter Milan.
And all eyes will be on the body language of both him and Rice at the final whistle in Budapest. The Violets themselves are seeking to end a barren run in Europe, with their last silverware the Cup Winners' Cup back in 1960/61.
