Fulham have reached an ‘agreement in principle’ with Fluminense to sign their midfielder Andre, according to Talksport.

The Brazilian international has been a long-term transfer target for the Whites, who are prepared to an up-front fee of more than £20m to beat several leading Premier League sides, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, to the 22 year-old’s signature. Fulham were close to completing a move for the defensive midfielder last summer and chief executive Alistair Mackintosh flew to Brazil to conduct face-to-face negotiations with the Fluminense.

Andre, who has been with Fluzão since the age of twelve, has a verbal agreement with the Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt to leave the club at the end of 2023 after a stellar year. He helped his boyhood side win the first Copa Libertadores title in their history, shining as Argentinian giants Boca Juniors were beaten in a dramatic final last month at the Maracana. Andre also produced a man-of-the-match performance last night as Fernando Diniz’s side beat Al Ahly to reach the Club World Cup final.

The tenacious midfielder, who made his international debut for Brazil in June and has won four senior caps, has described the prospect of a Premier League move as ‘a dream’ and Andre’s arrival at Craven Cottage will represent a real coup for Marco Silva.