Ending the window in dramatic fashion, Fulham took advantage of Chelsea's U-turn to sign Armando Broja on loan in a deal reportedly worth up to £4m. After welcoming the forward, however, the Cottagers are now reportedly set to lose one of Marco Silva's other attacking options, as a European club stop off in London as part of a double swoop.
Fulham transfer news
After putting pen to paper on the loan move, Broja told FFCtv: "It feels amazing. I'm really happy to be here and I can't wait to get started, meet the players and manager and play for the fans.
"The fans always play a big role and I can't wait to go to Craven Cottage and meet them all. I'm going to work hard for the team and create a real bond. I'm really honoured and excited to be here."
The arrival of Broja looks likely to have a knock-on effect elsewhere, however, with the London club now set to lose an attacking option after the conclusion of the January transfer window. According to Fabrizio Romano, Galatasaray have reached a verbal agreement to sign Carlos Vinicius on loan from Fulham until the end of the season in a double deal that will also reportedly see them sign Nottingham Forest's Serge Aurier.
Swapping Vinicius for Broja, Silva will hope that the latter gets firing straight away to finally hand Fulham a consistent goalscorer once more.
"Strong" Vinicius struggled at Fulham
After a year and a half at the club, Vinicius' loan move away from Fulham comes at the perfect time. Truth be told, the forward has struggled since completing the move, with Aleksandar Mitrovic's exit failing to provide the former Tottenham Hotspur man a springboard into Silva's starting role. Given the praise that Jose Mourinho once held for Vinicius, Fulham fans may have been left frustrated by his form.
Appearances
48
Goals
8
Assists
3
Mourinho previously said via To the Land and Back during the forward's loan spell at Spurs: "He is a big boy, a strong boy, and needs to be more physical in the Premier League but I am happy. It is good for the team to have that because for example last season if Harry Kane needed a rest – we couldn’t and because Vinicius is here, the squad is much more balanced."
Vinicius will now hope to rediscover his best form at Galatasaray, before potentially returning to finally make a significant impact back at Craven Cottage in the next campaign. It could be a vital few months for the striker's career.
