Fulham’s attempt to sign Andrei Ratiu from Rayo Vallecano has hit a very specific problem on deadline day.
The Cottagers have put €25m (£21.7m) on the table for the right-back. Ratiu wants the move, but Rayo are yet to give them an answer.
We covered at the weekend how Fulham had advanced in talks and already had the player’s approval. There is now considerably more detail on why an agreement between the clubs hasn’t followed.
Fulham’s payment plan is the problem
Marca report that Fulham submitted their €25m (£21.7m) offer in writing on Monday afternoon. That figure matches Ratiu’s release clause. However, Fulham want to pay it in instalments.
Rayo president Raul Martin Presa is demanding something different. He wants the full €25m (£21.7m) paid immediately and isn’t willing to negotiate the payment structure. And Fulham aren’t prepared to do that at this stage.
AS explain that leaves the Premier League club with a difficult choice. To activate the clause without Rayo agreeing to a deal, Fulham would have to deposit the entire €25m (£21.7m) with LaLiga in one payment. Otherwise, they need Presa to engage in negotiations.
That hasn’t happened. AS say the president isn’t giving Fulham a yes or a no and isn’t even taking Ratiu’s calls.
Of course there is some frustration for Fulham given how they got to this point. Ratiu’s agents informed Rayo of the interest on Saturday and told them Fulham were prepared to reach the clause figure.
Marca say the Spanish club wanted to see an official offer before doing anything. Fulham then delivered exactly that on Monday.
Rayo have since reactivated the right-back alternatives they had lined up in case Ratiu departed.
Ratiu fears another deal will collapse
The concern now is that Fulham could simply run out of patience. Local outlets say the €25m (£21.7m) would give Rayo useful funds for other additions. Yet they warn Fulham could walk away if the current situation continues.
Ratiu has already seen that happen once. AS say Nottingham Forest previously offered €25m (£21.7m) in instalments for him. Rayo didn’t respond to that proposal either.
Wolverhampton also tried for him last summer. Their €18m (£15.6m) offer went nowhere because Rayo demanded his clause. Ratiu now fears his Fulham move could suffer the same fate.
Fulham have at least reached the €25m (£21.7m) figure this time. The problem is getting Rayo to accept how they want to pay it.
With the clock ticking, that leaves Fulham needing Presa to change his position or find a way to make the full payment in one go.
