As they looked around Europe for a new right-back towards the end of the transfer window, Fulham fixated themselves, for a while at least, on Celta Vigo’s Hugo Mallo.
The Spanish defender was said to have the ‘offer of his life’ on the table from the Cottagers, but, in the end, he decided to extend his stay with the La Liga side and turn down the newly promoted club.
Fulham eventually went on to sign Timothy Fosu-Mensah on loan from Manchester United to help out Cyrus Christie and Denis Odoi in the position.
Speaking to the press a few days after putting pen to paper on his new deal, Mallo gave his reasons as to why he decided to say no to a Premier League adventure.
Now contracted with the La Liga club until 2023, the 27-year-old looks set to remain in Spain for the foreseeable future, and, having spent his entire career at the same club, it seems unlikely he’ll ever leave.
One club men are harder and harder to find these days, and it’s hard to be annoyed at such loyalty in a world where footballers tend to jump from club to club to get bigger wages like they’re playing hopscotch.
