Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores bolstered his options in the final third last week by securing the signature of Malaga forward Nordin Amrabat in a £6m deal. The versatile 28-year-old – who’s comfortable playing in any attacking position but slightly favours the left flank – expressed his excitement at the prospect of playing under the Vicarage Road boss:
“I’m really excited; I’m looking forward to playing for the Hornets. It was a dream to play in the Premier League and I had a chance one year ago but I joined Malaga. I’ve seen Watford play several times, I saw them beat Liverpool 3-0. They have a Spanish coach who tries to get them playing good football, and I’m looking forward to being part of the team.”
The History
Born in Holland, Amrabat’s youth career comprised of stints at three local clubs, including time spent at Dutch giants Ajax. Released by the Amsterdam outfit as a 13-year-old, Amrabat resorted to playing amateur football before being snapped up by Dutch second division outfit FC Omniworld (now Almere City), where he would tally 14 goals and as many assists across 36 outings in his solitary season on their books in 2006/07.
Amrabat’s displays earned a move to Eredivisie outfit VVV-Venlo in time for the following season. Again, the sprightly forward accrued an impressive haul of attacking returns (10 goals and seven assists in 33 league outings), prompting PSV Eindhoven to snap him up for the 2008/09 campaign.
Unfortunately, Amrabat failed to realise his potential with the Peasants, notching just eight goals and nine assists in his two full seasons at Philips Stadion. As a consequence, he was farmed out on loan to Turkish side Kayserispor, where he would go on to rack up six goals and 14 assists in his one-and-a-half-year stay.
Super Lig giants Galatasaray came calling in the summer of 2012, landing Amrabat in an €8.6 million transfer. With just one goal and seven assists to his name in 30 outings, he flattered to deceive during a single season donning the Lions’ strip, resulting in a loan move to Malaga halfway through 2013/14.
Amrabat’s initial six-month loan was extended to encompass the 2014/15 campaign following his successful introduction to La Liga. In the wake of a season that harvested six goals and assists, the Andalusians signed him on a permanent basis. Ultimately, Amrabat mustered six goals and seven assists in 44 league appearances for Malaga.
It’s also worth touching upon Amrabat’s poor disciplinary record. In just 13 appearances for Malaga this term, the Morocco international tallied one red and five yellows. Moreover, he collected two reds and 14 yellows across 44 appearances for the La Liga club, which acts to diminish his appeal on the Fantasy market.
Delving into Amrabat’s international career, he played for Netherlands’ youth teams but switched allegiances to Morocco in 2011. To date, he’s recorded four goals in 26 appearances for the African nation.
The Prospects
Judging from Flores’ quotes regarding Amrabat’s arrival, the Watford boss intends to deploy the Netherlands-born native in a number of positions to exploit his versatility:
“He has the qualities of the players we like. He can play at Number 10; he holds the ball, he can turn quickly with the strength of a striker and escape the defensive line. He can also play as a winger because he has that pace and velocity – the power that adds to the options of a team.”
Indeed, he’s played on both flanks and in “the hole” for Malaga this term but operated mainly as centre forward last season, illuminating his capacity to slot into a number of systems. It could be argued, though, that the Hornets are most in need of a central creative presence, given that only two sides fashioned fewer key passes (39) over the last six Gameweeks.
Flores has mainly opted for a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2 formation this term but his decision to switch tactics last weekend could well work in the new boy’s favour. Having seen his side lose four successive league outings, the Watford manager rolled out a 4-3-2-1 formation at home to Newcastle in Gameweek 23, resulting in a 2-1 win. This new set-up saw Jose Manuel Jurado handed a central support role alongside Troy Deeney, with Odion Ighalo leading the line. With the latter two looking nailed-on, Amrabat could well come in for the disappointing Jurado, who has mustered a mere two assists in 17 league starts.
Indeed, given that fellow wide men Almen Abdi and Ikechi Anya have produced just one goal and one assist respectively from 20 league appearances apiece, it’s fair to say that Flores desperately needs more from his midfielders. The 5.0-priced Amrabat could potentially offer us another name to consider in the budget bracket, though bearing in mind he was handed a one-minute cameo appearance off the bench against the Magpies, the jury is out on his impact for now.
Unfortunately for Watford and Fantasy managers alike, the upcoming schedule doesn’t bode too well. Over the next nine Gameweeks, Flores’ men face Chelsea, Spurs, Man United, Leicester, West Ham, Stoke and Arsenal, leaving only clashes with Bournemouth and Palace as standout fixtures. Such a run of matches may not only persuade Ighalo’s current owners to reconsider but looks set to ensure that Amrabat faces a tough task to persuade any would-be suitors he’s worthy of our consideration.
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