Fulham are closing in on a loan deal for Benfica’s defensive midfielder Florentino Luis, according to reports from Italy.

The 21 year-old Portuguese midfielder had been a target of AC Milan, but Calciomercato.com’s Milan correspondent Daniele Longo suggests that talks between Fulham and Benfica have progressed well and a deal could be wrapped up next week. Benfica had previously turned down a Fulham loan offer because both the loan fee and the amount written into the deal to make it permanent were too low, but Fulham are now confident that a revised offer will be successful. Milan are going to be offered the opportunity to submit a counter offer, but the Italian giants are though to have moved on given their pursuit of Sandro Tonali.

Luis, a highly-rated prospect, made his name in youth football having starred as Portugal won the European under-16 and under-18 championships in 2016 and 2018. He made his Benfica debut as a teenager in a comprehensive victory over in 2019 and followed that by helping the Eagles record their first ever victory in Turkey when they beat Galatasaray in the Europa League four days later.

He made eleven appearances as Benfica won the title in 2018/19 but injury restricted Luis to just ten league games last season. The Portuguese press had previously reported that Scott Parker flew out to Lisbon earlier this month to try and convince the player to make the move to London, with Leeds and a number of other European clubs also interested in signing Luis.