Fulham are surely bracing for interest in handful of players this summer but few could have expected Rodrigo Muniz to be on the radar of top clubs.
It’s difficult to remember a rise quite like Muniz’s in a Fulham shirt.
The Brazilian was barely a factor in the first half of the season and struggled on loan at Middlesbrough last term.
Few would have been remotely surprised if Fulham had loaned Muniz out again in January in order to give him consistent playing time.
Marco Silva remained committed to Muniz and his development though, and that faith has now paid off.
Muniz’s acrobatic strike against Sheffield United on Saturday was his eighth goal in his last eight Premier League outings.
Few strikers can match Muniz’s form right now and maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that speculation over his future is now emerging…
Rodrigo Muniz rumours
Brazilian reporter Mauro Sant Anna has claimed on social media that Chelsea and Liverpool are both showing an interest in Muniz.
Sant Anna mostly reports on Muniz’s former club Flamengo, so may well have some sources close to the striker even if his reliability is unclear.
We would be minded to suggest that it’s a little too early for this kind of speculation.
Yes, Muniz is in blistering form right now and rumours of interest from elsewhere was always going to happen.
We think Muniz would be better off staying at Fulham and continuing his development in a settled environment.
There are still aspects of Muniz’s game which need to be improved and honing his craft at Craven Cottage rather than leaving after an eight-game run could be the best step for the long-term future of his career.
No Muniz talks planned
Some may wonder if these rumours would spark Fulham into offering Muniz a new contract.
However, boss Silva has told the London Evening Standard that talks are not in the plans and that Fulham are relaxed about the situation.
Muniz is contacted until 2026 and there is a one-year option in the deal, meaning Fulham can extend his contract until 2027.
Muniz’s wages are described as being ‘modest’ terms but Silva doesn’t want to rush into talks and potentially ‘disturb his run’ in front of goal.
“He signed five years in 2021 and there is an option [for an additional year] in the contract,” said Silva. “Are we going to do something soon or summer or next season? We have to wait. We are calm about that situation. It’s not going to be situations like contracts that will disturb his run,” he added,” he added.
We can’t see Chelsea or Liverpool coming in with big cash this summer but if Muniz ends the season in this kind of form, a new deal will surely come his way soon enough.