AS Roma are now warming to letting Justin Kluivert leave on loan in the final weeks of the transfer sales after talks with Fulham, amid a backdrop of interest from West Ham United.
Roma now open to loan exit for West Ham eyed Justin Kluivert after Fulham talks
According to TuttoMercatoWEB, AS Roma are now considering letting Justin Kluivert leave the Serie A side on loan after holding talks with Fulham regarding a transfer in recent days, following interest from West Ham United in the Dutchman heading to the Premier League.
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Giallorossi sporting director Tiago Pinto travelled to London to meet Marco Silva’s Craven Cottage natives earlier this month. The west London natives are looking to add Kluivert to the Portuguese’s fold after securing promotion, and sensing a need for attacking arrivals.
Negotiations are ongoing between Fulham and Roma to discuss Kluivert leaving the Stadio Olimpico before the sales slam shut. Talks had initially focused on a permanent move, but Pinto is now prepared to consider a temporary arrangement that carries an option to buy.
Roma will demand an onerous loan fee to delay Kluivert’s potential permanent departure by a year. The 23-year-old may also have to agree a contract extension before leaving on loan, as the two-cap Netherlands forward is currently due to become a free agent in June 2023.
Kluivert moved to the Italian capital from Ajax for an initial £15m plus add-ons in 2018 on a five-year contract. But the versatile forward has only featured 68 times since, while scoring just nine goals plus 10 assists. He has also spent each of the past two seasons out on loan.
RB Leipzig hired Kluivert, son of Dutch icon Patrick, for the 2020/21 Bundesliga campaign. He then spent 2021/22 in Ligue 1 with OGC Nice, where the Ajax product struck four goals and five assists over 27 games. He also struck two and created one in the Coup de France.
Fulham were ‘very close’ to securing permanent Justin Kluivert transfer
Fulham were ‘very close’ to securing a permanent transfer for Kluivert following their talks with Roma, but West Ham may now increase their interest with Pinto open to a loan. Prior reports by TuttoMercatoWEB noted the Cottagers were approaching a €10m (£8.5m) deal.
It was Gazzetta dello Sport (p13, 7/7) who cited West Ham’s interest in signing Kluivert off Roma this summer. The Irons were also tipped to target a €15m (£12.5m) move to bolster David Moyes’ creative options. So, he could even fill the void Nikola Vlasic has now created.
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