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As Fulham and São Paulo continue to negotiate for the transfer of Pablo Maia, we now get to see why these talks are taking so long.

According to the latest report from Lance, the Craven Cottage side want to take the player in January, while the Tricolor would like to keep him until the middle of the year.

It turns out it’s São Paulo who seem to be about to win this battle, as it’s claimed they’re ‘close to convincing’ Fulham of only having Maia in the summer.

The Brazilian club are said to be willing to accept the Whites’ latest bid, and while the exact amount wasn’t revealed, according to Lance, that’s of over €10m.

São Paulo just want to hold Maia a little longer so they can have enough time to find a replacement for him, as he’s been a very important player for manager Rogerio Ceni.

It’s pointed out that the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Ham United also got interested in the midfielder, but it’s really Fulham who are close to landing the 20-year-old, regardless of when they’ll be able to take him.