'Refuse to give up' - Fulham braced for summer transfer raid as £18m-rated star man in big demand

Fulham failed to make a signing during the January transfer window, although they are close to landing a free agent signing.

Willian left the club in the summer after rejecting a new contract in order to join Greek side Olympiacos, however it hasn’t worked out for the winger. He left in December, meaning that he is a free agent. He now looks set to join at Craven Cottage again. It provides a boost for Fulham, who currently sit ninth in the Premier League, seven points off the Champions League places. They won 2-1 against Newcastle in their last match, and a key player was as influential as ever.

Goals came from Raul Jiminez and Rodrigo Muniz, with Muniz’ goal getting an assist by midfielder Andreas Pereira, who was subject to a £20.5m transfer bid during the January window, which was rejected by Fulham, meaning that the Cottagers may have to work to keep him in the summer.

Fulham braced for summer Pereira approach

Andreas Pereira signed for the Cottagers in 2022 from Manchester United for a fee of £7.8m, a comparative bargain considering his performances for Marco Silva’s side. Since his move, the Brazilian midfielder has made 104 appearances for Fulham, scoring 10 goals and providing 17 assists. He has become a key part of Silva’s midfield, with a lot of Fulham’s creative play coming from the 29-year-old.

However, reports have emerged saying that Brazilian club Palmeiras are trying to sign the midfielder, who wants to move back to his homeland. They have been targeting Pereira since the summer, but the Cottagers have been reluctant to sell him. According to Bolavip via Sport Witness, Palmeiras refuse to give up on the transfer and have reportedly asked for help from Pereira's agents in order to close a deal with Fulham for a summer transfer move.

With the player himself keen on a move away, it looks likely that he could leave in the summer when Fulham would be able to sign a replacement for the 29-year-old. Despite wanting a move away, the midfielder hasn’t caused a fuss with the situation, and continues to perform well for Silva’s side.

Fulham could sign former Aston Villa star to replace Pereira

If the 29-year-old was to leave in the summer window, Fulham would likely make a move to replace him with another attacking midfielder.

They have been linked with signing former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, who moved from Villa to join Serie A side Juventus during the summer transfer window. He has since made 13 league appearances for the Italian side.

Tottenham and Manchester United were also linked with Luiz, who reportedly is willing to leave despite joining in Turin in the summer. He signed for £42m from Villa, but his price will likely continue to decrease, should he struggle for game time under Thiago Motta at Juventus.