Barcelona icon's son snubs Champions League transfer option to join Fulham

Fulham are closing in on a deal to sign Roma winger Justin Kluivert on loan, according to reports.

Marco Silva is keen to bolster his attacking options after Manor Solomon, who arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this summer, suffered a serious knee injury in a friendly. Harry Wilson is also out for the foreseeable future with a knee issue and could be facing a race in time to be fit for the World Cup in November.

This has seen the Cottagers explore the possibility of signing 23-year-old Kluivert, who is the son of former Barcelona forward and Netherlands international Patrick Kluivert. According to the Evening Standard, the winger is willing to reject interest from French sides Marseille and Nice to realise his dream of playing in the Premier League.

The last hurdle to overcome is the structure of the deal. Fulham's latest offer is a loan with an obligation to buy for £10million next summer, depending on appearances this season. The Whites are hoping to tie down a deal for Kluivert ahead of their game against west London rivals Brentford on Saturday.

Kluivert has struggled for form since his move to Roma from Ajax in 2018 and has not played a minute for the Italian side since the start of the 2020/21 season. He spent last campaign on loan at Nice, scoring just six times in 31 appearances. This is after enduring a spell in the Bundesliga at RB Leipzig, where he scored against Manchester United in the Champions League.

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Fulham have made a positive start to their Premier League campaign, having held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw on the opening day, before drawing 0-0 at Wolves. Silva's side should have beaten the West Midlands outfit, however, as Aleksandr Mitrovic saw a late penalty well saved by Jose Sa.

With Silva ready to bolster his forward line, the Whites have also made enquiries to sign several other attackers, including Brighton's Neal Maupay, Marseille's Bamba Dieng, and Bordeaux's Ui-jo Hwang. However, Fulham are set to miss out on Maupay, who is close to joining Nottingham Forest for £15m.

Meanwhile, Fulham seen an approach for former striker Moussa Dembele rejected by Lyon. They are hoping to ease the scoring burden on Mitrovic, who did strike twice against Liverpool. Ex-Chelsea star Willian has also been thrown into the mix as a forward option, although, like Kluivert, he is more of an out-and-out winger.

The 34-year-old veteran recently left Brazilian side Corinthians after claiming he and his family received vile threats from the club's fans. The Brazilian could start training with Silva's side, with a view to signing a contract with the newly-promoted Cottagers as they look to avoid relegation back to the Championship this season.