West London rivals Fulham and Brentford could be battling one another to sign Genoa’s Mexican international defender Johan Vásquez this summer, according to reports.
Ben Jacobs – writing for Give Me Sport – suggests that the Premier League sides have both registered their interest with the Serie A club and the centre back’s representatives after the 26 year-old’s outstanding displays in Italy this term. The former Monterrey man is believed to be happy at Genoa at present, but a host of suitors across Europe have been informed that offers in excess of £17m could set up a race to sign him in the close season.
Both London sides have had the 6ft centre half scouted extensively this term and then impressed with his dominant displays for club and country. The ball-playing, left-sided centre back is also on the radar of Atalanta, Juventus, Stuttgart and Villareal. He played in the academies of UNAL, Poblado Miguel Alemán and Sonora, where he made his professional debut in 2017. He joined Monterrey on a two-year loan, eventually signing permanently for £1.5m – making him the most expensive signing from the Mexican second division.
He joined UNAM in 2020 following a successful stint on loan before being loaned to Genoa, who held an obligation to buy for £3m once the defender played a senior match. Vasquez scored his debut in a 2-2 draw against Sassuolo and, following the completion of his permanent transfer, was loaned to Cremonense, for whom he made 29 appearances and scored a single goal, in the 2022-2023 campaign.
Vasquez, who won the Mexican title and the CONCACAF Champions’ League with Monterrey in 2019, helped Mexico’s under 23s side win the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He has made 29 senior appearances for his country and was part of the Mexico squad at the last World Cup in Qatar but didn’t play a match. The tall defender wants to feature in the home World Cup campaign next summer and has enjoyed a superb season for Patrick Vieira’s side, for whom he scored in the 1-1 draw at Empoli last weekend.
