Barcelona’s Jean Clair Todibo has turned down a move to Fulham with the Premier League strugglers turning their attention to PSV Eindhoven’s Timo Baumgartl, according to reports.
After losing all three of their top-flight games since promotion with an aggregate score of 10-3, Scott Parker would have hoped a Carabao Cup fifth round clash with Brentford would take the squad’s mind off what has been a dismal start to the season.
But with the Bees taking revenge for their play-off final defeat with a 3-0 shellacking on Thursday night, Fulham’s 2020/21 campaign has already hit rock bottom.
To add to the growing sense of panic enveloping Craven Cottage, the Londoners have now missed out on yet another defensive target.
Mundo Deportivo reports the Cottagers agreed a £16 million fee with Barcelona for Todibo, one of the most highly rated young centre-halves in Europe.
But Todibo has opted against joining a side many are already comparing to a Derby County team that accumulated only 11 points from 38 games in 2007/08.
Fulham have already missed out on Sassuolo’s Marlon Santos after he failed a medical.
The Telegraph suggests Parker could now turn to PSV’s Germany U21 international Baumgartl.
The former Stuttgart man has started just 12 Eredivisie games since moving to Eindhoven in a £9 million deal last year.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
