Marco Silva says that Rodrigo Muniz’s new five year contract is ‘great news’ for the forward, Fulham and the Premier League club’s supporters.
The Portuguese head coach told his pre-match press conference before tomorrow’s trip to AFC Bournemouth of his delight that the Brazilian striker had committed his future to the Cottagers:
“Great news for Rodrigo, for the football club, and for the fans. The three things combined make me very pleased, because I know the connection that he created with our fans, I think it’s something that is not easy to achieve. Last two seasons, [his] numbers have been very, very good. When I signed him, he was my second signing at the football club, now it’s the fifth season for him, and now we have a long-term contract, and looks like it’s going to be a very long journey being with the football club.
“As I mentioned, the last two seasons, the numbers have been completely different, and of course it’s a good sign. Nowadays in football, it’s very difficult to find the right profile and to have the capacity to find strikers. Everybody is looking for it. We know that there were a lot of rumours around himself, speculation around himself, interest from other clubs, and I think there were officially two, three clubs that came to try to buy him.
He’s still young for a striker, and it’s a very good sign, definitely. I’m pleased to see him be more calm right now about his present and his future. For our club as well, to have a very good striker, and for our fans again, I think it’s very important.
I was very positive. To be honest, and Rodrigo can confirm it, and my conversations with all of you here, of course I was not 100 per cent sure, but I was very positive that it’s going to be a matter of time for us just to make it official, that he is going to be with us. We just said no [to Atalanta] last June, July and August, about offers, and I was very positive that it was going to end this way.”
