Summary Liverpool have just signed Wataru Endo but could make another midfield addition before the window closes. A £26m move is on the cards but they will have to beat Premier League rivals to the signature. He starred at the World Cup in Qatar where his team reached the semi-finals.

Liverpool are set to rival Manchester United for an exciting midfield acquisition before the window closes.

What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news?

According to reports in Italy (via Viola News), the Merseysiders have moved ahead of their arch-rivals in the hotly-contested race to sign a Fiorentina midfielder.

The Reds are reportedly preparing a ‘decisive offer’ of around £26m for Sofyan Amrabat, which could tempt the Italians into accepting a deal.

Last week, Jurgen Klopp supposedly called the Moroccan and explained his projected role at Anfield.

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It is understood that Amrabat appreciates this interest, amid the stalling of his proposed move to Old Trafford.

Fabrizio Romano previously revealed that the 26-year-old is an ‘important target’ for the Red Devils, but the club is yet to send an ‘official bid.’

However, 90min disclosed that Amrabat has grown ‘agitated’ at the lack of progress due to United’s inability to offload their squad players, opening the door for Liverpool to pounce upon the situation.

What are Sofyan Amrabat's strengths?

Amrabat has been at Fiorentina since 2020 and has gone on to make 107 appearances in all competitions for the club.

However, it was the Atlas Lions’ wonderful journey at the World Cup which has alerted many European clubs to his magnificent talent.

During Morocco’s record-breaking run, in which they became the first African nation to reach the semi-final of an international tournament, Amrabat played in every game, with Spain manager Luis Enrique describing him as “extraordinary.”

The Netherlands-born gem has amassed a formidable reputation for his dogged, industrious, and physical spirit that excellently protected the backline. This was also noticed by Joe Cole, who lauded Amrabat as “outstanding” and praised his “defensive instinct.”

Moreover, he also possessed commendable technical ability, ranking within the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion per 90, as well as the highest 11% for progressive passes per 90.

Despite the recent signing of Wataru Endo, a man Klopp branded a "monster", a player of this profile is well-placed and capable of assuming the responsibility of Fabinho, who departed for Saudi Arabia earlier in the window.

The Brazilian joined Liverpool in 2018 and in five years, established himself as the indispensable component of a side that won the club’s sixth European Cup in 2019 and its first Premier League title the following year.

Domestically, Fabinho featured in 154 of the club’s 190 top-flight games during this time, as his discipline magnificently shielded the centre-backs whilst also giving Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander Arnold unlimited freedom to bound forward.

However, last season, much like the majority of the squad, Fabinho drastically struggled and was a shadow of his former self. His deterioration of pace, athleticism, and ability to dictate play was ruthlessly exposed as Liverpool dropped from second to fifth in the Premier League standings.

Matt Ladson, the editor of ‘This is Anfield’ said the main issue was his lack of ‘mobility’, which meant that ‘he doesn’t get to challenges, and he can’t recover ground when turned.’

The Guardian’s Sachin Nakrani then labelled the 29-cap international as a ‘symbol of Liverpool’s decline’ and his departure has rightfully ushered in a new era at Liverpool.

Therefore, Amrabat looks ready to inherit this role and could be a hugely important piece of business.