Evening Standard
·18 January 2024
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Yahoo sportsEvening Standard
·18 January 2024
Fulham re-ignited talks with Fluminense midfielder Andre but are keeping their options open ahead of deadline day.
The 22-year-old Brazil international is ready to move to Craven Cottage, having agreed on personal terms in December, but securing such a major coup will be costly.
Andre will cost around £30million, likely making him the biggest signing in the January transfer window, surpassing Tottenham's £26.3m deal for defender Radu Dragusin.
But Marco Silva is also keen to sign a striker. The Fulham boss is wary about spending his entire budget on a talented midfielder without securing a player in his priority position.
Multiple sources in Brazil confirmed talks about a potential bid restarted on Thursday, but Fulham are said to have stopped short of making an official bid.
They know that Andre, who has attracted interest from Liverpool and Manchester United in the past, could also use them to leverage a move to a bigger club.
Meanwhile, Fluminense want to encourage a bidding war, with Fulham currently sitting in pole position. Alistair Mackintosh, the club's CEO, travelled to Brazil to watch Andre and his current side lift the Copa Libertadores in November.
Andre won the Copa Libertadores with Fluminense late last year
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The player has also confirmed his desire to move to England, saying: “I watch the Premier League and it's a big dream to play there one day," before playing in the Club World Cup final against Manchester City in December.
Despite Raul Jimenez's improving form, Fulham remain active in the striker market. Chelsea's Armando Broja, Wolfsburg's Jonas Wind and Stuttgart's Serhou Guirassy are among the options being considered.
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