Fulham open talks for Raul Jimenez

Faced with the likely departure of marquee striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham have made a baffling move in the market to replace the Serbian.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Cottagers are on the brink of securing the services of Wolverhampton Wanderers ace Raul Jimenez.

While waiting for manager Marco Silva to make up his mind amid concrete interest from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli, the Londoners have sealed a deal for the Mexican star.

Jimenez has spent the last five years at Molineux, helping them become a permanent fixture in the Premier League.

He initially joined Wolves on loan from Benfica in 2018 before earning a permanent contract the following summer, with the club spending €22 million to sign the ex-Atletico Madrid forward.

They will suffer a significant capital loss, considering Fulham will pay a mere £5.5m fee plus add-ons to bring the 32-year-old to Craven Cottage, as per The Athletic.

Given his recent proneness to injuries and form woes, it’s a bit odd that the Cottagers have identified him as a replacement for wantaway ace Mitrovic.

Despite reluctantly joining the team’s pre-season tour, the 28-year-old is determined to force his transfer to Al-Hilal to reunite with international colleague Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Fulham are understandably unwilling to sell their best player, but there’s very little they can do to stop an unhappy player from securing a lucrative move to the Gulf state.

However, they’re making strides in adding quality and depth to Silva’s ranks following an impressive top-half Premier League finish last season.

In addition to Jimenez, they’re closing in on a move for Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu, who is desperate to leave St Mary’s this summer.

Keen to strengthen their backline, Fulham have agreed to pay £15m to sign the Saints centre-back.

They are also inches away from luring Calvin Bassey to the Premier League after convincing Ajax to sell the former Rangers man for €21m.