Fulham are now "getting closer" to signing Leicester City right-back Timothy Castagne, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently indicating the deal could be done soon…
What's the latest Fulham transfer news?
A recent report from The Evening Standard has provided an update on Fulham's pursuit of a new striker, stating that approaches have been made for Flamengo's Pedro and Atalanta's Duvon Zapata, as they continue their search for Aleksandar Mitrovic's replacement.
In the same report, it is detailed the Cottagers are also running the rule over a number of options at full-back, with AC Milan's Fode Ballo-Toure, Union Berlin’s Josip Juranovic, Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters and Rennes’s Arthur Theate all under consideration.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, transfer insider Dean Jones has made it clear that signing a new full-back is one of Marco Silva's priorities this summer, saying:
“Fulham are also looking at full backs, partly because there is a feeling that Kenny Tete has been open to a new club this summer. But also because they need reinforcements anyway. Timothy Castagne and Yukinari Sugawara are both players who have hit the radar, but there are others too.
That particular position is still being explored, and Fulham fans have to stay patient because there is a chance this all goes down to the wire.”
Although a number of different targets have been identified, it appears as though the west Londoners have now settled on Castagne as one of their priority targets, with Romano recently providing an update on their pursuit of the defender on X.
The transfer expert has now claimed the Cottagers are "getting closer" to reaching an agreement with Leicester, with talks underway to discuss the final details of the move, which could seemingly take place in the very near future.
The 27-year-old is "high" on Silva's list of targets in the final days of the transfer window, with negotiations now set to advance to their final stages, in what could be a £15m deal with add-ons included, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
Tavolieri states the official announcement could be made on Tuesday, with the Belgian set to undergo medical tests this morning, ahead of putting pen to paper on a four-year deal.
How good is Timothy Castagne?
The 27-year-old is established at international level, having made a total of 33 appearances for Belgium, during which time he has scored two goals, and he also has several years of Premier League experience under his belt, making 91 outings in the top flight.
Lauded as "brilliant" by members of the media, the full-back is yet to feature for the Foxes so far this season, but he has put in some impressive performances over the past year, ranking highly on several key defensive metrics.
The Arlon-born defender has averaged 3.11 clearances per 90, placing him in the 93rd percentile compared to his positional peers, while he has also averaged 2.64 tackles, which ranks him in the 84th.
Castagne could be an excellent signing for Fulham, given that he is now in his prime years, and it is exciting news that a deal is now close to completion.