Fulham are readying an offer for Fiorentina defender Igor Julio after the Brazilian was told he could leave the Viola this summer, according to reports from Italy.
Corriere dello Sport carries a report this weekend on how Vincenzo Italiano will reshape his squad after their agonising Europa Conference League defeat at the hands of West Ham United. The newspaper says that several stalwarts will leave and Julio, who has spent three seasons at the Artemio Franci, is one of the them. The 25 year-old centre half is about to enter the final year of his current contract and Fulham’s persistent interest means he is likely to head to the Premier League.
Julio has made 110 appearances for Fiorentina since initially joining on loan from SPAL on a two-year loan in January 2020. He played thirty league games as finished eighth in Serie A and appeared eleven times in the Conference League, although he was only a late substitute in Prague last week. He made three appearances in the Coppa Italia as Italiano’s men reached the final but was an unused substitute as they were beaten by Inter Milan.
Julio, who came through the Red Bull set-up starting in the academy of Red Bull Bragantino II before moving to Red Bull Leipzig, is rumoured to be valued at around £9.5m by I Gigliati but Fulham appear confident of concluding a cheaper deal. The Whites are seeking swift central defensive reinforcements with Tim Ream recovering from a fractured arm and Shane Duffy set to join Norwich City next month.
