There’s an element of cleverness attached to this, and at the same time, it could cause us few problems down the line if we aren’t careful.
I’m just glad I’m not the one that has to make these decisions, because I’m certainly struggling to keep up with things as it is.
According to Portuguese outlet Record (via Sportwitness), Fulham are fighting tooth and nail to try and sign midfielder Florentino Luís away from under the noses of Italian giants AC Milan. The battle seems to be coming down to much the clubs are willing to pay further down the line, as AC Milan and Fulham are both opting to try the ‘loan with an option to buy’ method.
We seem to be stuck at a valuation of €18m, with Milan trying to bid €30m (an obligatory offer) whilst Luis’ club Benfica seem to want something closer to his €40m release clause, so if Fulham are going to be serious bidders in this war, they’re going to have to stump up the cash.
How much will Fulham spend this winter?
Less than £10m
More than £10m
So I guess it’s just a case of how much we are willing to pay to kick the can down the road.
I think this is a smart move to go for the ‘option’ route rather than being forced to pay for it next summer, because, whilst I’m hoping we don’t, we could find ourselves relegated and being stuck with a hefty fee just as we drop down.
The ‘option’ loans worked perfectly last season, with the likes of Ivan Cavaleiro, Anthony Knockaert and Harrison Reed all turning their loan deals into permanent ones once they showed their worth to the team, but given the precarious position we find ourselves in, I don’t think we should be committing to anything just yet.
Let him prove himself first.