Fulham line up deadline day move for Man Utd star Ten Hag will sell as Joao Palhinha nears exit

Fulham have reportedly ‘made contact’ with Manchester United over signing Scott McTominay, as Marco Silva looks to replace exit-linked Joao Palhinha. 

The Scottish midfielder has struggled for consistent playing time at Old Trafford recently and Erik ten Hag is willing to sell him for the right price.

In fact, McTominay has played just seven minutes for Man Utd so far this season. The likes of Casemiro, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen are all ahead of him in the pecking order.

With that in mind, a move away from the Red Devils could be exactly what McTominay needs to get his career back on track.

Several clubs have been linked with a move for the midfielder this summer. As reported by TEAMtalk, West Ham pushed to sign McTominay for some time but decided to pursue alternative targets after seeing a £30m bid rejected by Man Utd.

Fulham are now leading the race for McTominay, but will have to move quickly to get a deal done before the transfer deadline.

Given West Ham’s rejected bid, Man Utd are likely to demand a fee in excess of £30m for the 26-year-old.

READ MORE: Klopp in dreamland as Liverpool beat Man Utd to €45m midfielder; reason Reds were chosen revealed

Fulham eye McTominay as Palhinha nears Bayern move

According to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth, Fulham have made ‘initial contact’ with Man Utd as they consider a deadline day move for McTominay.

On Twitter, Sheth wrote: “Fulham make initial contact with Manchester United over Scott McTominay.

“Fulham looking at options IF Joao Palhinha leaves. Bayern pushing. Would take substantial offer for United to even consider.”

As mentioned, Bayern Munich are doing everything they can to sign Palhinha. They are yet to agree a fee with Fulham, but the player is keen on the move.

Another reputed transfer journo, Fabrizio Romano, has shared the latest on Palhinha. He claims that Fulham will only let him leave if they bring in a replacement.

“Joao Palhinha, waiting for Fulham to find replacement in order to join Bayern on five year deal,” Romano wrote on Twitter.

“Fulham called Spurs for Højbjerg, not easy to agree on conditions with Daniel Levy. Palhinha wants Bayern, clear message to Fulham.”

Romano interestingly claims that Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is another option for Fulham. Although, it’s worth noting that Atletico Madrid are also pushing to sign the Denmark international.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if the Cottagers make a concrete bid for McTominay in the next 24 hours.

READ MORE: Ten Hag laughing after Man Utd transfer breakthrough puts Arsenal move in flux