Fulham have been promoted to the Premier League and will now target Torino’s Koffi Djidji after the Serie A ace was offered to Newcastle United, according to RMC Sport.
You might have heard that Newcastle have come into some cash. Quite a lot of it, in fact.
With that in mind, it’s not easy trying to sort the fact from the fiction. The players Newcastle actually want to sign and the players who’s agents are trying to drum up interest in by name-dropping the so-called ‘richest football club on planet earth’.
Djidji, it seems, belongs to the latter category.
While Eddie Howe and co were scouring the market for defensive reinforcements in January, a number of centre-halves were ‘floated’ to the Tynesiders. According to The Athletic, 29-year-old Djidji was one of those.
Reports linking the 6ft Frenchman with a move to Craven Cottage, however, appear to have been initiated by Fulham rather than Djidji himself. RMC Sport claim that Fulham have expressed their interest, alongside Olympiakos and reigning Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon.
Fulham promoted to the Premier League
“Since I left (Nantes and joined Torino for £2 million), I have matured,” explains Djidji to Goal.
“I know myself much better. I talk a lot more about my matches and I work with a mental coach. And I have also made a lot of progress in my nutrition.
“The system of play that the coach (Ivan) Juric puts in place, with a three-man defence, and what he asks me to do in the game with or without the ball is something that I have learned to like. And I think I do it well.”
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It remains to be seen if Djidji, who has just one year left on his Torino contract, could replicate his solid Serie A displays in the Premier League. Under Marco Silva, Fulham have utilised a back-four rather than a three-man defence after all.
In addition to Djidji, the Cottagers will reportedly sign Manor Solomon to replace Liverpool-bound Fabio Carvalho. PSV midfielder Erick Gutierrez is another target, alongside former West Ham pair Josh Cullen and Dapo Afolayan.
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