Fulham are now ready to make a £26m offer for a midfielder with "great ability", but there could be competition from Serie A heavyweights Juventus and Napoli.
Cottagers stepping up pursuit of new midfielder
It remains unclear who will be in the Craven Cottage dugout next season, despite Tony Khan making it clear he hopes Marco Silva remains at the club for the foreseeable future, saying: "I have a great relationship with Marco. I love working with Marco and I absolutely want Marco to be here for a long time. I think he will be, and I believe that.
"We've had a lot to do, and we've just had a great recent signing that we spent a lot of time on… we're all very aligned as a club, working together. I absolutely believe the way we're all working together and the way we all enjoy it."
Silva's contract is set to expire in the summer, with a Scottish Premiership manager recently being identified as a potential replacement, but despite the lack of clarity about who will be manager next season, the Cottagers are making plans for the summer transfer window.
Fulham manager Marco Silva before the match
Bringing in a striker is of interest, with PSV Eindhoven's Ricardo Pepi and Palmeiras star Flaco Lopez among the targets, while Khan & co are also keen to get a new midfielder through the door.
That is according to a report from Sports Boom, which states Fulham are now ready to make an offer of €30m (£26m) for Udinese star Arthur Atta, who is also being targeted by Serie A giants Juventus, Napoli and Inter Milan.
The Cottagers attempted to sign Atta in the winter, and they are now willing to make a fresh approach when the summer transfer window opens once again.
Motherwell manager Jens Askou reacts Related
[He's won four trophies: Fulham eyeing "unbelievable" Silva heir averaging nearly two points per game](https://www.footballfancast.com/fulham-eyeing-jens-berthel-askou-manager-marco-silva-heir/ "He's won four trophies: Fulham eyeing "unbelievable" Silva heir averaging nearly two points per game")
The Cottagers are preparing for life after Marco Silva.
Atta could be ready for Premier League move
Udinese managing director Franco Collavino praised the 23-year-old when he first completed a move to Italy, saying: "He's a modern, versatile midfielder with great ability. He'll add dynamism to ur midfield. He has huge potential."
Indeed, the Frenchman has displayed his versatility by featuring in central midfield, defensive midfield, the number 10 role, and on both wings throughout his career to date, and the maestro has two goals and three assists to his name in 22 Serie A outings this term.
The Serie A star has created 29 chances this season, the second-highest number in the Udinese squad, while he ranks first for successful dribbles per 90, averaging 2.6, with nearest-rival Keinan Davis averaging 1.5.
Atta's performances in Italy this season suggest he could now be ready to test himself in the Premier League, and £26m feels like a reasonable fee, but competition from Serie A heavyweights Juventus and Napoli could be a problem for Fulham.