Fulham race Tottenham for £42m midfielder as Craven Cottage contract talks begin

Fulham have opened contract talks with midfielder Andreas Pereira over a new deal amid reports that the Cottagers are rivalling Tottenham Hotspur for the transfer of Juventus star Douglas Luiz as a potential replacement.

Andre Hernan reports that the club have made initial contact with Pereira to sound out a potential new deal with his current contract at Craven Cottage set to end in 2026. The midfielder is the subject of interest from Palmeiras, who have bid £20.5 million to sign the player this January, which comes after the London outfit rejected a £16.5 million bid earlier this month.

Reacting to those rumours in December, Marco Silva said: "Of course I'll talk to him, but this issue with Palmeiras isn't something for me and him to discuss. The club has the people responsible to talk to and to listen to. So far, I don't have any information from the club to indicate that anything is close to happening, so there's not even any talk.

Fulham in contract talks with Andreas Pereira

"Everything else is out of my hands and also far from Andreas. There are people responsible for him, and the club has someone to deal with these issues. We've just been focussed on the job, training by training and game by game. Obviously having Andreas with us and available is very important for us. He's a different player, a player who gives us other things."

The 29-year-old has become a linchpin in the Fulham midfield, making 101 appearances for the club since arriving from Manchester United for £10 million in 2022. Pereira has 10 goals and 16 assists in those outings.

It remains to be seen whether the Brazil international does extend his stay in west London, but Fulham appear to have locked in on a target should upcoming contract talks stall. Journalist Eduardo Burgos has confirmed that the club are rivalling Tottenham Hotspur to bring Luiz back to the Premier League.

Taking to social media platform X, Burgos wrote: “Despite informal inquiries, Douglas Luiz has a good chance of staying at Juventus in January. The player does not want a change of scenery at the moment.

“He is comfortable in Turin and wants to succeed in the team. Tottenham and Fulham are the ones pushing hardest for his loan.”

Douglas Luiz linked with Juventus exit

It had been previously touted that the former Aston Villa man could quit the Italian giants despite only arriving at the club last summer. Juventus paid £42 million to recruit Luiz from Aston Villa in June.

Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport had claimed that the player is already willing to leave, having struggled to find his feet in the Serie A. The midfielder has made 14 appearances in all competitions but missed a large chunk of the season with muscle problems.

Aston Villa sporting director Monchi was quoted by Gazetta and said: "He’s playing less than we all expected, but we’re talking about a strong player. There are guys who arrive and impose themselves, others who need time. Patience is needed, but Douglas’ qualities are beyond discussion. He will become important for Juve.

“He’s a playmaker and every ball that comes out of his feet has a meaning: last year he played 90% of the games with us. He was decisive."