Having secured a return to the English top flight, Daniel Farke’s Leeds United are now looking for a top-quality forward who can help them stay up. Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz is one of the names on their wishlist. While they did make a move to sign him, things have not gone according to plan.
According to a report from Standard Sport, the Yorkshire-based club submitted a package worth £32 million in total to sign the Brazilian striker. However, it was not good enough to convince the Cottagers to sell one of their most valuable assets.
Rodrigo Muniz made quite a name for himself while rising through the ranks at Flamengo. After just six months with their first team, Fulham secured his services in the summer of 2021. He has since gone on to establish himself as a key figure in the squad.
While veteran striker Raul Jimenez was the preferred choice for Fulham in the final third, Muniz still got quite a few opportunities to make an impact, and he surely did. In just over 1,300 minutes of first-team action spread over his 36 outings, he bagged 11 goals and two assists.
The 24-year-old made the most out of the limited game time, and he now finds himself on the wishlist of quite a few clubs.
Leeds United are one of the clubs that are keen on signing Rodrigo Muniz. While Joel Piroe had an impressive return in the Championship, Farke wants more quality up top. The Leeds United manager considers Muniz an ideal fit for his system and a great acquisition for their long-term project.
As a result, the newly promoted Premier League club went ahead and submitted an offer worth £26 million plus £6 million in add-ons. However, Fulham did think twice before turning it down. The Cottagers consider him one of their most valuable assets and even rejected approaches from West Ham United back in January.
While Fulham are reluctant to part ways with the 24-year-old, they understand that a substantial offer could force their hand. Leeds United, meanwhile, are unlikely to return with an improved bid. With their initial offer swiftly rejected, they are expected to shift focus to alternative targets.
