SC Braga’s midfield ace, Al-Musrati, has been highly linked with a move to the newly-promoted Fulham side.
It has been reported by BBC that, Libyan coach Corentin Martins has admitted to the midfielder’s absence from the squad due to a probable move away from Portugal. “I think he deserves a better club than SC Braga. For Libya, it would be great to see him increase in size and value”, he said.
The Championship winners have marked yet another return to the Premier League, in style. Marco Silva and co. have been looking to include a lot of new faces up their sleeves, as they look to remain in the PL this time around. The Cottagers have already been eyeing to get a few new faces, while contacting them as well- the most recent of those being, Lazio’s keeper Thomas Strakosha’s link to the craven cottage.
Now, Fulham are said to be the favourites to land the Libyan midfielder ace in the summer. According to the news , first reported by the Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Fulham contacted SC Braga 2 weeks ago. While the move looks imminent, the Portuguese side wants £13m for their star midfielder.
#Fulham are in advanced talks with #Braga Midfielder Al-Musrati and a medical is due in a matter of days
( Moayed Alidreesi) #FFC #Fulham #Transfers #EPL #PremierLeague— Fulham Transfers (@FulhamTransfer) May 19, 2022
Whether or not Fulham will be ready to spend on him, we shall see it in the coming days. But the way the news have panned out in the recent weeks, it seems that Al Musrati is on his way out of SC Braga. There have been some more interests, from other European clubs but none have advanced like Fulham has done, in the recent week.
With his ability to drag out a full 90-mins week-in-week-out, it seems as if Silva can rely a lot on the Libyan beast. No doubt he is a huge figure in the middle of the park, standing as tall as 6ft 4in. Musrati’s tall build, helps him to get those recoveries and tackles, making him one of the few exciting prospects to look for in the defensive midfield region for this season, at such a cheap price tag.
What can Al Musrati bring to Silva’s Fulham?
Making a return to the Premier League football, Marco Silva will be wary of the fact that his side cannot give away too many goals. Every single clean sheet will be looked upon as a greater success for the club, in the longer run. In order to make sure that their defensive organisation is kept intact, at least for the major part of the season, the Cottagers need a player like Al-Musrati.
The Libyan central defensive midfielder, who plays for Braga, has shown his strength this season. As a CDM, you are not expected to contribute with goals and assists- rather your ability to create spaces, and cover for the loose ends is a key factor that makes you a good defensive midfielder. Similarly, Musrati has shown his ability to cover for the defensive gaps in his own half, while making lung-busting runs in the final third to provide an extra pair of boots if required.
Across all the competitions this season, he has averaged a successful passing rate of 85%. In addition to that, at his position, he has the most number of duels won per game- with at least 2.7 duels won per game throughout the season. (via/WhoScored)
Numbers like these are enough to get an assurance of the defensive stability within the squad. If Fulham are to go after him, Silva and the recruitment team would know for a fact that they will be getting a beast – not just physically, but technically as well!
