Promoted outfit Fulham are expected to seal an agreement to bring Braga midfielder Al-Musrati to Craven Cottage with their interest being ramped up in recent days, according to a report from Jornal de Noticas (via Sport Witness).
The Libyan made 45 appearances in all competitions during the 2021/22 campaign for the Portuguese side, appearing as one of the first names on the teamsheet under former Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal this term.
Not only did he make an impression in the Portuguese top tier - but he also managed to secure 11 appearances in the Europa League and has seemingly attracted interest from Marco Silva's side.
The Cottagers are currently in need of adding more options to their midfield area following the departure of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa last month, with Napoli reportedly paying €15m for the Cameroonian's services.
This will provide the west London outfit with a bigger transfer budget to play with this summer and that may be needed in the middle of the park with Jean Michael Seri also set to depart the English capital following the expiration of his contract this summer.
There has been speculation surrounding Al-Musrati in recent days following his request to be left out of the Libya squad with the 26-year-old's plans to negotiate a move away from Portugal amid interest from the English side.
And Jornal de Noticas (via Sport Witness) are now reporting that he is expected to complete a move to Craven Cottage, following Silva's side's decision to ramp up their efforts to get an agreement over the line for his services.
The Verdict:
Considering the Cottagers didn't have Anguissa at their disposal during the 2021/22 campaign, this €15m feels like free money and they can inject some or all of those funds into getting this deal over the line.
The Cameroonian was likely to be on a sizeable wage too even with a potential salary drop following their relegation, so this is an addition they can afford to make and it will also allow them to move for other targets.
Some would argue they should have prioritised other areas to strengthen with their goalkeeping department, centre-back area and a forward position all needing to be addressed along with replacements for Fabio Carvalho and Neco Williams.
However, they still have plenty of time to strengthen these areas, with a considerable amount of investment needed to give them the best chance of remaining in the top tier for the long term, something they will be desperate to do after floating between the first and second tier for the last five years.
Al-Musrati has Europa League experience under his belt and with that, many people will think he has the pedigree to vastly improve the Cottagers. And if he does make the move, it will be interesting to see how he adapts to the challenges of the English top flight.