Rodrigo Muniz is completing a medical at Middlesbrough ahead of a proposed season-long loan at the Riverside Stadium – with Fulham eager to give the Brazilian forward regular football this term.
Muniz, who chose Craven Cottage over Middlesbrough when he moved to England from Flamengo permanently last summer, scored five goals in 25 games as the Whites won the Championship last season, but he remains an understudy to first-choice number nine Aleksandar Mitrovic. Whilst the 21 year-old has been on the bench for Marco Silva in both Premier League fixtures in August, the Fulham head coach opted to introduce Jay Stansfield for his Premier League debut at Wolves last weekend and is acutely aware that Muniz requires game time to prove himself in English football.
Middlesbrough have been seeking to supplement Chris Wilder’s striking resources all the summer and Muniz has been a long-term target. Boro are hopeful of concluding the deal in time to allow Muniz the possibility of being involved in Saturday’s meeting with Reading, against whom the lively striker scored his first Fulham goal, at the Madjeski Stadium. The Whites have given the green light for Muniz to leave on loan as they are close to bringing in another striker themselves.
It has to be said: this was a poor signing personally requested by Marco Silva.
You can dress it up any way you want but, apart from Blackburn away, he has struggled to look ready should anything happen to Mitrovic. That was in the Championship. He would, no way, be good enough for the Premiership.
He cost 7million or thereabouts -money that could be utilised right now.
I personally believe that he will struggle to make a mark at Middlesbrough but I hope it works out for him.
Effectively, we now have no back up for Mitro -apart from Stansfield.
I have to ask, if we were prepared to let him go out on loan BEFORE we signed another striker, why didn’t they let him go before the Championship season started?
The only conclusion is that they have a replacement locked in -bar a signature. Bloody hope so!
Having watched Silva’s full press conference, it’s obvious that he is still not happy about the slowness of transfer business but prefers to wait until the end of the window before speaking out.
With Joe Bryan also on the way out, I also have to ask why this decision was not taken at the end of last season along with Cavaleiro, Knockaert and Onomah?
Silva says that he informed Bryan at the start of pre-season. Just seems very weird.
Whatever – we now require another left back if Bryan is no longer wanted.
So that’s a left back, a midfielder, two wide players and a striker. Can’t see it happening somehow.