Revealed: The former Man Utd target Fulham are set to sign on loan
Karan Tejwani
- 19 Aug 2022 09:25 BST
- 3 min read
Fulham are close to agreeing a deal for former Manchester United target Justin Kluivert, having been frozen out of the Roma squad by manager Jose Mourinho.
Kluivert was once regarded as one of European football’s brightest talents when he made his breakthrough at Ajax, but things haven’t panned out as planned for the Dutch winger.
He moved to the Serie A side in 2018, refusing Ajax’s move to get him to stay for a further season, and has struggled to make a mark in the Italian club, often spending time away on loan.
Kluivert played the 2020-21 season at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, before moving to Nice on a temporary deal the following season and neither side were impressed enough to make the move permanent.
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Fulham keen to sign Kluivert
Now, Marco Silva is interested in ending Kluivert’s Roma spell and is in need of improving the team’s attacking options, forcing him to look at the Dutchman.
They’ve been in negotiations with the 23-year-old’s representatives for a long time, with interest starting as early as July this year, with interest going from before that.
West Ham were also interested in signing Kluivert, but Fulham have made their move before the Hammers, agreeing to pay a fee at the end of an initial loan spell.
Justin Kluivert scores a good goal.pic.twitter.com/XZDjyS4vzG
— Scouted Football (@scoutedftbl) April 5, 2019
Kluivert is a Dutch international, having played for them when he was still at Ajax and his potential was widely regarded when he was still at Ajax, with many believing he would have a good career in the game.
There was also interest from Mourinho in 2017, when the two met after the Europa League final that year and the Portuguese boss telling the then-teenager that he’ll bring him to Old Trafford in a year’s time if he kept growing.
Although Kluivert’s career hasn’t gone quite as planned, there is still optimism he can make things work out for himself as he’s still young and can help Fulham’s attack get better.
