Following a 3-0 loss to Arsenal and a 4-3 defeat to Leeds United, Fulham have decided they need a new centre-back.
The man they appear to have targeted is Sassuolo’s Marlon, previously owned by Barcelona.
That’s why both the Spanish and Italian press are in on the action on Monday when it comes to reporting the news, starting with Mundo Deportivo, who claim the 25-year-old is ‘on the verge’ of signing for Fulham, which would see the La Liga club get some money.
The reason for that is when Barcelona sold Marlon to Sassuolo for €6m, they also inserted various clauses including a right to buy him back and 50% of any future sale or an extra €6m if he played 50 games.
As things stand, Marlon has only featured in 41 official games for the Serie A side, meaning it’s the first clause that is likely to be activated, with the Italians avoiding the extra €6m but needing to give a chunk of their money to Barcelona.
Considering the Brazilian only has one year left on his deal, they aren’t expecting a huge amount, but it’s better than nothing.
Over at Corriere dello Sport, it’s explained Sassuolo are ‘one step away’ from selling their centre-back, with Fulham described as ‘strongly’ after him.
This comes after quotes from their director of football, Giovanni Carnevali, who confirmed they had received an ‘important offer’ from the Cottagers for their player, as relayed by Gianluca Di Marzio.
