Championship side Fulham will step up their pursuit of Rodrigo Muniz today after CEO Alistair Mackintosh told Flamengo that a bid would be submitted on Friday, as reported by O Dia.
After days of difficult discussions, it seems Fulham are on the verge of agreeing a deal for a man who has also been the subject of enquiries from Atletico Madrid, Al-Nassr, Genk and Middlesbrough – a varying crop of clubs if there ever was one.
Craven Cottage has always felt like the most likely destination for Muniz, Marco Silva having contacted the striker in an attempt to lure him to West London.
Muniz, for what it’s worth, was flattered by Silva’s willingness to go the extra mile.
The former Everton and Watford coach apparently sees similarities between the 20-year-old and a baby-faced Richarlison, the Brazil international forward he brought to Vicarage Road as a little-known youngster back 2017.
Will Rodrigo Muniz be Fulham’s answer to Richarlison?
According to O Dia, Flamengo had doubts about whether Fulham were willing to meet their demands for Muniz. The Cottagers saw a loan offer rejected last week.
But Mackintosh, the club’s long-serving CEO, has now taken the step of contacting Santos director Bruno Spindel directly; making it clear that Fulham would be happy to reach a compromise as they look to fight off competition from Championship rivals Middlesbrough.
Boro offered £4 million up front but Muniz turned down a switch to the Riverside, awaiting an offer from Fulham instead.
It is understood that Fulham will pay £7 million across two instalments, having agreed a five-year deal with Muniz.
It remains to be seen whether Muniz is viewed as someone capable of slotting straight into the starting XI and making an immediate impact, a la Richarlison during his debut season at Watford.
In his introductory press conference this week, Silva suggested that exit-linked Aleksandar Mitrovic still had a part to play at Craven Cottage, but stressed the Serbian international cannot be relied on to score every single goal in 2021/22 (West London Sport).
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