Fulham have now submitted an offer to sign a 53-cap international defender on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Cottagers pushing for the top six
Goals from Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz completed a second-half turnaround for the Cottagers at St. James’ Park on Saturday, propelling them up to ninth in the Premier League table.
After the impressive victory over Newcastle United, Marco Silva’s side are now knocking on the door of the European places, just four points behind rivals Chelsea, who currently occupy sixth place.
It has been a quiet January transfer window for the west Londoners, however, and Silva may feel some new additions are needed before tomorrow’s deadline if his side’s European dreams are to become a reality.
Fulham working on late double deal after submitting offer for "Mitro-regen"
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Earlier this week, it was reported Fulham were pursuing two forwards, in the form of St. Johnstone’s Brodie Dair and Partisan Belgrade’s Dusan Jovanovic, with an offer for the former being accepted by the Scottish club.
Now, it appears as though the Cottagers are also keen to strengthen their backline, with Romano revealing they have submitted a loan bid for AS Roma’s Zeki Celik, which includes an obligation to buy clause.
The Italian side are now said to be evaluating the offer for Celik, with Claudio Ranieri yet to give the green light, and talks are set to continue before the transfer deadline.
Fulham’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Date
Nottingham Forest (h)
February 15th
Crystal Palace (h)
February 22nd
Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)
February 25th
Brighton & Hove Albion (a)
March 8th
Tottenham Hotspur (h)
March 16th
A report from Gianluca Di Marzio makes it clear Roma want to get the right-back off the books permanently, having brought in former Ajax captain Devyne Rensch this month, so a loan deal which includes an obligation to buy could be appealing.
Kenny Tete replacement needed at Craven Cottage
With Kenny Tete set to be sidelined for a considerable period of time due to a knee injury, Silva could do with more options at right-back, so it makes sense to pursue a deal for the Roma right-back before the window slams shut.
The Turk is highly experienced at international level, having amassed 53 caps for his country, and he has received consistent game time in all competitions for his current employers this season, including seven outings in the Europa League.
Castagne has by and large been solid at right-back in Tete’s absence, so it may be difficult for Celik to force his way into the starting XI immediately, but it is certainly good news that Silva is looking to bring in additional depth in defence.
Goals from Jimenez and Muniz to secure the win at St. James’ Park on Saturday underlined the fact that Silva’s side are well-stocked in attack, with the former now on nine Premier League goals this term, so a new right-back appears to be the priority target.