According to 90min, Fulham have AS Roma wingman Justin Kluivert on their radar. The Dutch forward – the son of the Barcelona legend Partick Kluivert – spent last season on loan at French club Nice.
Fulham have been quite active in the transfer window and are busy shoring up their squad this summer. Following their return to the Premier League, they have managed to sign Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira, Kevin Mbabu, and Bernd Leno on permanent deals. Meanwhile, Manor Solomon and Shane Duffy have also joined the side on loan deals.
However, the Cottagers are far from done, and Kluivert could be the latest addition to Marco Silva’s first-team squad. The newly-promoted side have been engaged in talks with AS Roma over the last week with regards to a permanent transfer.
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While a loan move was initially in their plans, Premier League rules dictate that teams can sign a maximum of two players on a temporary basis at the same time. Therefore, with Shane Duffy’s arrival from Brighton on Friday, Fulham have changed their stance and are now looking for a solution in terms of a permanent transfer for Kluivert.
On the same Friday, when Duffy arrived at Craven Cottage, AS Roma general manager Tiago Pinto travelled to London in order to initiate talks with Fulham over Kluivert. Reports of a deal around the 10 million euros figure is said to be the focus of the discussions and conversations.
An agreement of around 10 million could also help Roma save up 6 million in gross wages for the Dutchman, who has spent the last two years on loans to RB Leipzig and OGC Nice, respectively.
The 23-year-old first burst onto the scene with AFC Ajax between 2016 and 2018 before making a move to Roma. However, he hasn’t been able to establish himself in the starting XI at Stadio Olimpico. He spent the previous year on loan at Nice, for whom he racked up six goals and six assists in 31 matches across all competitions.
Despite returning to Roma this summer, the signing of Paulo Dybala will make it even harder for Kluivert to gain minutes. With only a year remaining on his contract, the Giallorossi are looking to recoup some of their initial investment in the player and get him off the books this summer.