Fulham are in talks to sign Romain Faivre from Ligue 1 giants Lyon but will face competition from Premier League rivals AFC Bournemouth with the Lorient loanee expected to cost around £13 million.
At this stage, there is enough evidence to suggest that ‘second season syndrome’ is more than a mere cliché.
The dreaded disease has already claimed the likes of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds and Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United. And, if Marco Silva’s Fulham are to avoid picking up any symptoms, exciting, eye-catching signings like Romain Faivre could go a long way to building on the success of an outstanding 2022/23 campaign.
Fulham already in talks to sign Lyon’s Romain Faivre
After a difficult spell at Lyon, one of the most naturally-talented attacking midfielders in French football has been a man reborn since joining FC Lorient on loan in January. He’s scored or assisted six goals in his last 11 games.
And with both Fulham and Bournemouth already in discussions with the 24-year-old’s entourage, Lyon should be confident of recouping most of – if not all – their £13 million investment (FootMercato).
A stylish, silky number ten or right-winger, Faivre hit double figures for Stade de Brest last term, catching the eye of clubs such as AC Milan, Manchester United, Newcastle and even Paris Saint-Germain.
“Romain Faivre has something few players have,” his former Monaco coach Thierry Henry says. “He breaks lines (with his passes).”
“He’s a boy with real potential,” adds Oliver Dall’Oglio, another of Faivre’s ex-coaches (Ligue1.com). “Comfortable on the ball and fast in possession. He’s got great vision too – he’s got something special.
“He rarely loses the ball. He can break through the lines by dribbling. And his passing creates so many chances for us.”
Faivre, then, could be a square peg in a square hole as far as Marco Silva’s fancy Fulham side is concerned, slotting in nicely alongside fellow technicians Harry Wilson, Willian and Manor Solomon while serving up chances aplenty for Aleksandr Mitrovic.
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