Fulham are considering a move to sign a new central talisman to succeed Joao Palhinha in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged.
Joao Palhinha expected to leave Fulham
Over the summer, Palhinha came extremely close to completing a move to Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich having even travelled to complete a medical, but a deal ended up falling through at the last minute on deadline day, meaning that he stayed in the capital.
However, Premier League clubs are now believed to have entered the race to secure his services, so should he leave for real at any stage next month, Marco Silva will have to enter the market to find a suitable replacement for his talisman.
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The Cottagers are one of several clubs in the race to secure his services.
Feyenoord’s defensive midfielder Mats Wieffer only joined his club last summer from Excelsior, but he’s quickly established himself as a regular feature of the starting line-up, having made a total of 59 appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Wieffer statistics).
The Netherlands international has firmly established himself as Arne Slot’s best-performing defensive player so far this season (WhoScored – Feyenoord statistics), and the 24-year-old’s outstanding form has caught the eye of the hierarchy at Craven Cottage.
Fulham keen on Feyenoord “controller” Mats Wieffer
According to Football Insider, Fulham are interested in Wieffer and are weighing up an approach should they lose Palhinha in January.
“Fulham are weighing up a move for Feyenoord midfielder Mats Wieffer, sources have told Football Insider. Football Insider revealed on Friday (15 December) that scouts from the Craven Cottage outfit were in attendance for the Dutch giants’ clash with Celtic in the Champions League this week. A well-placed source has told Football Insider that he could cost around £20-25m with Feyenoord reluctant to lose him mid-season.”
As it stands, Wieffer currently ranks in the 97th percentile for both blocks and aerial wins by players in his position, showing that he’s not afraid to put his body on the line to clear the danger for his team (FBRef – Wieffer statistics) Standing at 6 foot 3, Borne’s native has also made 44 tackles over the course of the current campaign which is more than any of his fellow teammates, highlighting his desire to get stuck into challenges to try and win back possession (FBRef – Feyenoord statistics).
Sponsored by Puma, Silva’s target has even had a taste of what it’s like to compete and be successful at a high level having won two pieces of silverware since the start of his career, so he will possess the winning mentality to thrive in the Premier League.As described by football data analyst Ben Mattinson, Wieffer is a “controller” in the centre of the park due to his ability to dictate the game when he has the ball at his feet, so should the opportunity present itself, this is a no-brainer of a deal for the board to complete in January.
