Promoted outfit Fulham are yet to launch a bid for Porto full-back Zaidu Sanusi and are not in the race to recruit him despite previous links, as per an update from Portuguese outlet A Bola (via Sport Witness).

The 25-year-old was a regular starter for Sergio Conceicao's side last season when available, making 25 league appearances and scoring three goals in the process.

However, he appeared in 40 competitive games in total during 2021/22 with his side also competing in Europe and a domestic cup competition, helping Conceicao's men to win the latter despite being unable to make considerable progress in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

 

 

Also having 10 caps to his name for Nigeria, the left-back was thought to be on Marco Silva's radar with the Cottagers seemingly looking to add another option in this area despite the presence of Antonee Robinson and Joe Bryan.

The Premier League side have also been linked with Alex Moreno and Javi Galan, though they won't be moving for Zaidu with Silva's side not one of the two English top-tier clubs currently interested in luring him away from the Portuguese top tier.

Although these two teams haven't been identified, Brighton and Hove Albion have been linked with a move for the Nigerian and may potentially require a new left-sided option with Marc Cucurella not guaranteed to remain at the Amex Stadium beyond the summer.

The Verdict:

Although this is a position that should potentially be low down on their target list considering the other areas they need to address, Silva will require a new option in this area if he doesn't trust Robinson to be a regular starter.

At 24, there is still time for Robinson to improve further and become an accomplished top-tier option, though some would argue that the short term should be prioritised for their long-term benefit.

Remaining afloat in the top tier is simply a must after becoming a yo-yo team in recent years, so bringing in the quality needed to stay up before looking at the bigger picture is a strategy they should pursue.

Spending a huge amount of money doesn't always guarantee success and they will know that considering they forked out considerable fees on multiple players during the summer 2018 window - but getting value for money and having the top-tier experience to cope will be crucial.

And if Sanusi is a better option than Robinson, they should be looking to enter this race. However, they seem to have other irons in the fire and may be using data to decide which left-backs on their potential shortlist is the best equipped to be a starter in the English capital.