Queens Park Rangers and Bristol City have registered an interest in signing Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, according to Darren Witcoop of the Sunday Mirror.
Muniz has struggled to nail down a starting spot at Fulham this season and has been attracting interest since the start of the window. QPR and the Robins have made enquiries to the London club about the player’s availability.
The two Championship clubs are not the only sides interested. Muniz has also garnered interest back in Brazil, having initially spent time at Cortiba and Flamengo previously before signing for Fulham.
Marco Silva has struggled to find game time for the 22-year-old this season. He has started just three games in the Premier League, with the majority of his minutes coming in the cup competitions. His one goal this term came in the EFL Cup, in Fulham’s fourth-round win over Ipswich Town. Muniz didn’t feature against Liverpool last night despite being named in the squad.
The Hoops are currently on a torrid run of form, failing to score in three of their last five games. They have the joint-lowest goal tally in the Championship with just 21 goals and need a striker like Muniz to come in and change their fortunes in front of goal.
The Robins are in a different situation, lingering around mid-table. Still, the signing of the Brazilian could help bridge the four-point gap currently between them and sixth-place Sunderland in the play-off positions.
Muniz had a loan spell in the Championship last season but failed to make any major impact during his time at Middlesbrough. The former Cortiba man scored two goals in 17 games during his time with Michael Carrick’s side, and his market value currently sits at just £4.5 million, according to FotMob.
There is also the subject of interest from Brazil. Ge Globo in Brazil reported last week that Muniz had interest from Atletico Mineiro, but their proposal to Fulham did not suit the English club. The report also stated that the striker was unlikely to leave Europe, making a move to one of the interested Championship clubs all the more likely.
Muniz may prefer to join Bristol City due to QPR’s involvement in the relegation battle. Gareth Ainsworth’s side are currently four points from safety and are showing no signs of turning their form from the first half of the season around. Liam Manning’s side remain in with a shout at promotion and therefore may feel confident if it turns into a battle to sign the Fulham forward.
Writer’s View
Muniz is yet to find form at Fulham but has proven in Brazil that he can be a valuable asset for a team. Bristol City are likely to have the upper hand when it comes to signing him, but if QPR can get their hands on the Brazilian it could transform their season completely.
A move to Brazil looks unlikely, so it’s imperative that one of the Championship clubs takes advantage of the opportunity to land Muniz this January.
