£6M MAN SET FOR FULHAM AFTER LOWERING £50K-A-WEEK WAGES, DEAL CLOSE

Premier League newcomers Fulham are set to seal the signing of Wolfsburg’s Bundesliga right-back Kevin Mbabu after the Switzerland international agreed to reduce his wage demands, as reported by BILD. There was a bit of a hold up earlier this month, Fulham’s deal for the one-time Newcastle United youngster hitting the buffers. Did Mbabu have concerns about joining a club who’s last two seasons in the top-flight ended in relegation? Did he want to stay and fight for his place at Wolfsburg?

According to BILD, the reason for the delay was not down to any doubts on Mbabu’s part. It was, instead, simply the sort of wrangling you would expect to see during contract negotiations. Mbabu, the report adds, wanted around £50,000-a-week at Craven Cottage. Now, he’s agreed to accept a lower wage. Fulham will pay around £6 million for the rampaging right-back, one of the best in his position over in Germany before losing his starting spot at the Volkswagen Arena to the excellent Germany international Riedle Baku.

Mbabu was left out of Wolfsburg’s squad for last week’s friendly clash with KV Mechelen. He should become a Fulham player ‘by the weekend at the latest’, to quote BILD, after missing training on Thursday morning (Wolfsburger Allgemeine). The 27-year-old former Rangers loanee will fill a Neco Williams-shaped void in Marco Silva’s squad. Williams joined Nottingham Forest in a £17 million deal this month after helping the Cottagers win the Championship title during an impressive loan spell at the City Ground.
Mbabu is far from guaranteed a starting spot at Fulham, however. Kenny Tete is not going to give up his place without a fight. The Dutchman would relish a return to Ajax, but that can wait for the time being. The Cottagers have already signed Joao Palhinha and Andreas Pereira this summer. Luca Pellegrini and Issa Diop could also arrive. Shakhtar Donetsk’s CEO Sergei Palkin, meanwhile, says that Manor Solomon will be a Fulham player in 2022/23.