Fulham are stepping up their interest in Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis and will offer £18 million to sign the Portugal U21 international on a permanent basis after an initial loan spell at Craven Cottage, according to the Mirror (1 September, page 45).
With Scott Parker’s Premier League newcomers confirming the arrivals of Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina over the weekend, you would be forgiven for assuming that a deal for Luis was dead in the water.
But it seems that could not be any further from the truth.
The Mirror suggest that the 21-year-old has been lined up to complete a new-look midfield with Fulham planning a loan deal which could be turned into a permanent contract.
Should Luis impress over the next 12 months or so in west London, the fee would reach around £18 million.
Clearly, Fulham have learned the lessons of that infamous 2018 splurge, in which they paid staggering sums to sign Jean-Michel Seri and Andre Franck Zambo Anguissa – talented midfielders but without a shred of first-team experience between them.
Two years later, Fulham are still struggling to get a pair of £25 million forgotten men off the wage bill.
Florentino, if he adapts to the pace of English football, would offer the Cottagers something they never had during that disastrous 2018/19 – a disciplined, dynamic defensive-minded shield.
“Florentino is a young player who has exceptional talent. From very early on, we realized that Florentino was on the road to becoming an elite player,” Benfica youth coach Joao Tralhao told Bernabau Digital
“I see Florentino as a logical option (for Real Madrid). He has a profile very similar to that of Casemiro and in Europe he is, without a doubt, one of the best in his position.
“I think Florentino is that type of footballer that you would always want to have on your team. Defensively he is exceptionally effective. In terms of technical and decision-making qualities, he is also at a very good level.
“If we are looking for elite footballers who can fit in In this profile, I think we will always remember players like Casemiro, Fernandinho…”
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