Fulham set to battle AC Milan for Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah

Fulham are bidding to sign Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah in a £ 20 million deal but face competition from AC Milan.

Yunus Musah, 20, has been of great interest to AC Milan, and the Serie A club are looking into a deal for the midfield dynamo. The USA international has seemingly agreed personal terms with AC Milan, although there are still negotiations going on between the two clubs over a fee.

Fulham are reportedly now “all over” the transfer and hope to beat Milan to the 20-year-old’s signature. Milan’s failure to meet Valencia’s asking price so far has opened the door for Fulham to swoop in, as Marco Silva looks to build on a good campaign.

Joao Palhinha attracting interest from West Ham

Joao Palhinha played a key role behind Fulham’s successful 2022-23 campaign in the Premier League, thereby, making a stellar impact upon his arrival from Sporting CP last summer for just £20m. The Portugal international made 40 appearances in all competitions, scoring four times.

However, it was Palhinha’s combative displays in the Fulham engine room that really caught the eye. He was the leading tackler in the Premier League with a considerable margin, winning possession 147 times. The defensive midfielder has taken no time in adjusting to the demands of English football and his performances have caught the attention of West Ham.

West Ham are preparing for life after Declan Rice’s potential departure to Arsenal, with David Moyes keen to replace his outgoing skipper with Palhinha. The Cottagers have slapped a £ 90 million price tag on Palhinha in an attempt to keep away West Ham and other potential suitors from reaching the negotiation table.

Considering how important the Portuguese destroyer was for the west London outfit last season, Marco Silva will not want to lose his star man this summer.

Yunus Musah on Fulham’s radar

With West Ham seemingly preparing an approach for Palhinha, Fulham have started looking out for potential replacements. Yunus Musah has emerged as an option for the Cottagers, although Milan remain favourites to land the player having agreed on personal terms with him.

Musah already has experience in English football, having spent seven years at Arsenal’s youth system before heading to Spain to join Valencia. He represented the Three Lions at every level up to Under-18 before opting for the United States and donning their jersey at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He has 27 international caps for the USA under his belt.

For Valencia, the youngster has since made over 100 appearances, scoring five goals. Musah made 33 appearances last season as Los Che finished 16th in La Liga. Chelsea had a bid rejected for Musah in January, but Valencia are open to selling him this summer.

AC Milan are yet to reach the figure Valencia have quoted for Musah, which has given Fulham a chance to express their interest and they are planning to submit a £ 20 million bid. The west London side may need to up their offer if a huge bid comes in for Palhinha and they are left with a gaping hole to fill.