Crystal Palace and Fulham were interested in Tiago Gabriel during the summer transfer window. The player has now talked about his future.
The centre-back is currently one of the best young defenders in Serie A. He joined Lecce for around €1m in January 2025 and has slowly become one of their most important players.
Towards the end of the summer transfer, there was a clamour for his signature. Fulham made an approach and were competing with AC Milan for a deal. In the end, he stayed at Lecce, and Crystal Palace were also interested some weeks ago.
The player has now revealed his intentions regarding his future.
Transfer decision down to club
The lanky centre-back spoke to Lecce’s official website about his time at the Apulian club. While he praised his time, he was also asked about the speculation around Crystal Palace and Fulham that surrounded his future in the summer.
He pointed at a special relationship between himself and Eusebio Di Francesco’s side.
The Portuguese said: “It’s special for me and for my family too. You can’t think about the transfer market; it’s secondary, it’s not up to me. That’s why 1 always had my mind on Lecce, and I’m so happy to have stayed.”
Gabriel also hailed the fans of his current club, suggesting that they’re a key part of their season.
“We feel them on the pitch, and they mean a lot to us, they’re special. All the teams that come here feel them. There’s an incredible atmosphere at home. We hope it stays that way.”
Our take: Big move incoming
Lecce have made significant money from the sales of Patrick Dorgu, Morten Hjulmand and Nikola Krstovic in recent years. Gabriel is next in line, especially as his stock is clearly growing, with the defender scoring against Monza at the weekend too.
This should give hope to Crystal Palace and Fulham, who could yet sign the 21-year-old.
Since he joined Lecce for very little money, the defender would be a very accessible target. His physical traits make him quite a fit for Premier League football. He could yet improve on the ball but there is enough time to add that to his growing skillset.
