Fulham made a last-minute move for Yaser Asprilla on Deadline Day, but Girona weren’t interested in letting him go.
The Colombian had already been linked with Celtic earlier in the window. Girona were refusing to sanction an exit then, and they stuck to that position right through to Monday’s deadline.
Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra says Fulham sent an offer for the 22-year-old in the final hours.
They proposed a loan with a fee and an option to buy. Girona rejected it.
Fulham went further than Celtic
That takes things a step beyond the Celtic interest reported earlier in the window. Back in August, Sierra said Asprilla wanted to stay in Europe. Celtic, Valencia and Lecce were interested, along with clubs in France.
Girona, though, were refusing to let him leave “for the moment”. That left some room for things to change before the window closed. Fulham clearly thought it was worth having a go.
They actually put an offer on the table, but Girona still wouldn’t budge. Sierra says the Spanish club “also rejected” Fulham’s proposal. In the end, they simply didn’t allow Asprilla to leave on Deadline Day.
There’s no figure given for Fulham’s loan fee or the option to buy.
Girona wouldn’t open the door
Asprilla had already been looking for another move after a difficult spell away from Girona. Celtic made contact for him in January, before Galatasaray won the race.
The Turkish club offered Girona a loan deal which included a €23m (£19.9m) purchase clause. He went there, but that move didn’t work out. Asprilla struggled for regular football, suffered a knee injury and eventually returned to Spain.
His future was therefore back on the agenda this summer. And Fulham’s offer would have given Girona a loan fee immediately, while leaving the door open for a permanent transfer later.
Even that wasn’t enough. Asprilla now stays at Girona despite wanting a move and attracting interest from several European clubs.
