Fulham have turned down Atletico Madrid’s £21.5m offer for for Nigerian international Alex Iwobi.

The Whites view their 29 year-old midfielder as a key part of Marco Silva’s plans and are not considering selling him at this point. Atletico’s bid – disclosed by AfricaFoot – came as a surprise to both Fulham and Iwobi, whose consistent displays for the Cottagers saw him become a target of Diego Simeone’s as Atleti aim to revamp their squad following their disappointing third-place finish in La Liga last season.

The former Arsenal and Everton midfielder was reportedly offered a weekly wage of around £115,000-a-week by Los Colchoneros and it remains to be seen whether they will increase their bid in the coming days. Iwobi, who signed for Fulham in a £22m deal from Everton in September 2023, has quickly become a fans’ favourite at Craven Cottage for his industrious displays in a number of different positions.

The Nigerian has scored 15 goals and made eight assists in 77 games and still has three years to run on his current contract. Iwobi has scored ten goals in eighty senior appearances for the Super Eagles, whom he helped reach the final of the African Cup of Nations last February.