Fulham are reportedly pushing to land 27-year-old Olympique Lyonnais defender Leo Dubois on loan as pre-season nears.
According to French outlet L’Equipe, Premier League newcomers Fulham are seeking to land Olympique Lyonnais defender Leo Dubois on loan in the ongoing summer transfer window.
The 27-year-old made a name for himself at Nantes before moving to the Groupama Stadium in 2018. Since then, he has established himself as a regular for Les Gones, making 129 appearances, scoring five goals and assisting 15 more.
A right-back by trade, the French international is a marauding force down the flank. While his defensive prowess is suspect, Dubois adds much going forward and can cross the ball with unerring accuracy. Marco Silva’s side employs an attacking brand of football, and Dubois should fit in well.
Spamming the box with crosses will be a welcome approach for striker Aleksandar Mitrovic who has been scoring goals for fun in the EFL Championship. With the right service, there is no reason to believe that he cannot repeat the same in the Premier League after failing to do so previously.
While Fulham are keen to take the French international on loan, Lyon are seeking a permanent transfer. Despite being the club’s skipper, Dubois is far from a first choice for the Ligue 1 giants and could be available for as little as €8 million. The 27-year-old is also keen on moving on amidst interest from Fulham and Italian club Fiorentina.
Fulham are no strangers to the Premier League but have struggled in recent seasons to cement themselves as top-flight regulars. It makes sense for them to go for proven players who will give them the added bit of quality. A right-back, in particular, was on the agenda given their inability to bring back Liverpool loanee Neco Williams.
The Welsh international did well at Craven Cottage last season and was one of Fulham’s best players in the latter half of the season. While the Cottagers remain keen to re-sign the 21-year-old, their £10 million bid falls short of Liverpool’s £15 million asking price. Dubois is a much more experienced option and could offer more stability than Williams, who remains untested in the top flight.
With pre-season nearing, Fulham will be well advised to get their top targets in soon. Doing so will ensure that the squad is ready for their season opener against Liverpool. If anything, the opening day clash shows just what is exciting and terrifying for promoted sides as they embark on their Premier League campaign.
