Fulham Close In on Ratiu, Tottenham Reject Sunderland Loan Bid for Danso

With the transfer deadline just days away, two Premier League clubs made headlines on separate deals involving defenders on Saturday.

Fulham are in advanced talks with Spanish side Rayo Vallecano over a move for right-back Andrei Ratiu. According to reports from journalist Matteo Moretto, personal terms are already agreed between the Romania international and Fulham, and the player is fully open to making the move to the Premier League. The only thing left to sort out is the transfer fee between the two clubs. Ratiu has a release clause of around €25 million, but Rayo Vallecano are said to want the full amount rather than a lower fee, so there is still work to do before the deal can be completed. The 28-year-old has been a regular for Rayo since joining in 2023 and was previously linked with a move to Tottenham last summer, though that deal fell through.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have turned down a loan approach from Sunderland for centre-back Kevin Danso. The Black Cats made a season-long loan offer for the 27-year-old Austria international, but Spurs said no. Danso only just made his first appearance of the season this week, coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup win over Charlton, where he also scored his first goal for the club. However, with new signings Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke arriving this summer, and Micky van de Ven now club captain, Danso finds himself down the pecking order at centre-back. Reports suggest his representatives have also been speaking with Aston Villa about a possible move there instead, so his Tottenham future still remains uncertain with the deadline fast approaching.