Man Utd FA Cup final hero reveals who's to blame for blocking summer transfer

Sofyan Amrabat claims Erik ten Hag was desperate to keep him at Manchester United last summer, but suggests the manager was overruled by technical director Jason Wilcox.

The Morocco international joined United on loan from Fiorentina in September 2023 but was limited to just 10 starting appearances in the Premier League.

While he struggled early on, Amrabat put in a string of impressive displays at the end of the 2022-13 campaign, culminating in an outstanding performance against Manchester City in the FA Cup final – with club legend Paul Scholes comparing him to AC Milan and Italy great Gennaro Gattuso.

Amrabat’s loan deal had the option to make the move permanent for a fee of £21million but United declined, with the 28-year-old instead joining Jose Mourinho at Fenerbahce, who host United in the Europa League tonight.

United instead signed Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain for £50m, with the Uruguay international managing just two minutes of football in the three games since his disastrous afternoon against Tottenham in September.

Amrabat would have had another chance making that role his own had Ten Hag got his way but the Moroccan suggested it was Wilcox who made the final call.

‘I have a special relationship with Ten Hag since I was a 20-year-old at Utrecht,’ Amrabat told the Mail.

Sofyan Amrabat — Amrabat’s loan spell at United ended in the summer (Picture: Getty)

Asked to further discuss the circumstances behind his United exit, Amrabat added: ‘The only thing that I want to say is that you have to ask Mr Wilcox.’