Juventus & Barcelona wanted to sign Sofyan Amrabat

Juventus and Barcelona were interested in signing Manchester United loanee Sofyan Amrabat during the January transfer window.

The Morocco international joined the Red Devils for a huge loan fee of €10m from Fiorentina last summer. He rejected the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich in order to move to Old Trafford.

The decision has not proved worthwhile as he has struggled to come to terms with the Premier League's intensity. United have an option to buy him for €20m, but the clause is unlikely to be triggered.

Speaking on YouTube, Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Juventus and Barcelona were eager to prise away Amrabat in January and they proposed to break the loan contract with the Red Devils.

However, United were adamant that he was not going anywhere. They rejected the proposal from both clubs. Fiorentina were also happy for the player to continue with the Red Devils until the summer.

Amrabat is likely to pursue a new challenge away from Serie A later this year.