Manchester United and Liverpool are hot on the scent of Antonee Robinson, but Fulham are prepared to leave the arch-rivals frustrated by rejecting any January bids for the left-back.
Football Insider quote well-connected former scout Mick Brown as calling the 27-year-old a “leading candidate” for anyone looking to sign a left-back.
He confirmed that the American has been watched by top Premier League clubs, and named United and Liverpool among them, but admitted he is unsure whether they will end up making a move.
But Fulham, who are three points clear of United in seventh place, are tipped to rebuff any January approaches for one of their key men.
“From what I hear, Fulham won’t let him leave in January anyway,” Brown said. “So if [a move] happens in won’t be until the end of the season.”
Robinson has played every minute of every league game so far for Marco Silva’s side, picking up three assists.
While Liverpool look for a long-term successor for Andy Robertson, United are in the precarious position of making it nearly a third of the way through the season without a single minute played by a natural left-back.
The Old Trafford side have long-standing issues in the position, with senior figures Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia both yet to make an appearance this season due to injury.
Both players are notorious for their injury record, and eyebrows were raised when United didn’t address the left side of their defence in the summer.
Right-backs Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have been filling in, with cameo appearances from Lisandro Martinez and even Jonny Evans.
The club went so far as to reduce its options over the summer, allowing promising youngster Alvaro Fernandez Carreras to make a move to Benfica after spending a season there on loan.
United are already being linked with bringing him back to Old Trafford, and he is thought to be another player of interest to Liverpool thanks to his fine form in Portugal.
17-year-old Harry Amass was promoted to the first-team squad by Erik ten Hag but is yet to feature.
Whatever happens with Robinson, it is overwhelmingly likely that new boss Ruben Amorim will insist on wide defensive reinforcements.
The Portuguese tactician makes heavy use of wing backs in his preferred 3-4-3 formation, and will want to have specialists, not stand-ins, filling those key roles.
Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
