Busquets’ successor. Will Amrabat become Barcelona’s new defensive midfielder?

They’re still looking for an alternative to the longtime legend. Sofyan Amrabat won the hearts of many fans with his performance at the World Cup in Qatar. There is no doubt that his market value will rise. Should a club like Barcelona buy a player who has made history with his national team?

One of the things that could support a move to the Catalan capital is how comfortable he is playing in the sole pivot position (defensive midfielder) with creative players like Ounahi.

the 26-year-old often plays as a double pivot in a Fiorentina jersey. But we know well that different formations or tactics affect the performance of individual players.

That’s why he didn’t perform as well for Fiorentina as he did for Morocco at the World Cup. In the Italian club, he is expected to help more often in the attacking phase. For the national team, however, he suits the role and his strengths stand out.

Amrabat has to stay in front of the defence, close down space, intercept balls, break up opponents’ attacks or header duels – all of which he handles to perfection. Of all the players at the World Cup, he made the most saves in the defensive third (14).

He is good at covering dangerous zones in front of central defenders. Whenever the ball goes into his territory, he is ready to receive it. He doesn’t hesitate and is able to play with frightening intensity for a full ninety minutes.

Before Morocco’s match against France , Amrabat ran the greatest distance of any player in his team (59.3 km). We know that he has strong lungs and excels in battles for the ball, but that alone is not enough to play in Barcelona.

If you want to be the only pivot under Xavi, like Busquets, you need to be able to distribute passes and advance the play between the lines. Considering how Morocco rarely dominated possession of the ball, he’s not top of the list in these stats. Still, his numbers for an average of ninety minutes per game for Fiorentina are impressive.

– Passing success rate of 90.4%
– Progressive passes:: 5.98

Talking about the last number, he is among the top five percent of players in the entire Serie A. For Morocco, he often played between the central defenders when his team had possession of the ball. Mainly to give Hakimi freedom in the offensive zone.

Although he is not used to playing with the principles we see at Barcelona, he could be an interesting option. He definitely still has potential. The Moroccan system was strong and worked because of the close relationship between the players and their automatisms. His contract at Fiorentina expires in 2024.

Source: Twitter