Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Anguissa appears to be edging closer to an exit from Craven Cottage this summer.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who revealed that the 25-year-old’s absence from Marco Silva’s side in the Cottagers’ season-opening draw with Middlesbrough last weekend came as a result of his desire to leave the club.
The report continues by confirming that the Cameroon international is not injured, nor has a transfer bid been accepted by Fulham. However, there is a significant amount of interest in the midfielder’s services, with at least two Premier League clubs, as well as one each from Spain and Italy, thought to be keen on a move this summer.
Finally, it is claimed that Marco Silva is more than happy to sanction the sale of a player who is not committed to the club, and if an acceptable offer is placed by an interested party, the Portuguese manager will not stand in the way of Anguissa’s departure.
Is losing Anguissa a major blow for Fulham?
Yes
No
Fans will be devastated
While the Fulham manager is well within his rights to exile a player who is not interested in helping the club secure an immediate return to the top flight this season – as will undoubtedly be Silva’s ambition – fans will nevertheless be devastated to wave goodbye to a very talented player considering how well Anguissa performed for the west Londoners last term.
Indeed, over his 36 Premier League appearances last time out, the £22.5m-rated defensive midfielder averaged 1.6 interceptions, 2.2 tackles and 0.4 clearances and won 7.3 duels per game. The £70k-per-week man also impressed for his team going forwards, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, along with averaging 0.8 key passes per league fixture.
These returns saw the player who Joachim Andersen dubbed a “machine” earn an impressive average SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Scott Parker’s 10th-best player in the top flight in 2020/21.
As such, while keeping a player of Anguissa’s ability after suffering relegation to the Championship always seemed a long shot, it is undeniable that the 25-year-old’s sale will make Fulham a weaker side – something which may well be a bitter pill to swallow for the Craven Cottage faithful.
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