Fiorentina inserted a secret clause in Sofyan Amrabat's loan contract to allow him to join Manchester United, a new report has claimed.
The Italian side sanctioned a loan move for the Moroccan midfielder on deadline day, after several days of negotiations with United.
Erik ten Hag's side had submitted a €2 million loan proposal for Amrabat, which would see only €1 million of that fee guaranteed due to the presence of a break clause in January.
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As per The Athletic, Fiorentina rejected that offer because they felt they could get a considerably larger sum for one of their key players.
The deal was finally completed, with United believed to be paying £8.5 million for the loan with a £21.4 million obligation to make the move permanent next summer, as per Sky Sports.
One key issue for Fiorentina throughout the process is that Amrabat's contract expires at the end of 2025, meaning that if United were not to sign him permanently, the Italian side would risk losing money on the 27-year-old as his market value decreases
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A new report claims they have taken a step to stop that from happening.
Fiorentina inserted 'secret clause' into Sofyan Amrabat deal
According to Italian outlet Il Tirreno, Fiorentina extended the 27-year-old's contract until 2025 last December, using an option in his contract to do so.
They add that, prior to his move to United, the Italian club insisted on inserting another clause into the deal meaning that, if Ten Hag's side do not sign Amrabat permanently, Fiorentina can extend his contract by a further year until 2026.
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It is claimed that Fiorentina essentially accepted a 'deferred payment' scheme from United in order for this clause to be inserted, with the Manchester club struggling to sign players at the latter end of this summer due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns.
According to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, United restricted on what they could spend on incomings, without player sales, towards the end of the window. Fiorentina, meanwhile, valued Amrabat at around £30 million prior to his departure, with the loan fee plus the obligation fee making up that figure.
Featured Image Credit: GettyTopics: Manchester United, Fiorentina, Sofyan Amrabat, Premier League, Transfers