Exclusive: Fulham miss out as rivals close to agreeing £25m+ double deal
Fulham are set to miss out to Portuguese giants Sporting CP for Panathinaikos duo Fotis Ioannidis and Georgios Vagiannidis, sources have told Football Insider.
Fulham had targeted striker Ioannidis, 25, and right-back Vagiannidis, 23, as they look to bolster their squad for next season.
But Portuguese giants Sporting are now leading the hunt to sign the pair in a €30million (£25.5million) deal when the summer transfer window opens and are closing in on an agreement.
Football Insider first revealed Fulham’s interest in right-back Vagiannidis last month (3 March).
Sporting CP leading race for Greek duo
The Greece international came through the ranks at Panathinaikos and has been a regular starter in the 2024-25 campaign.
Meanwhile, Ioannidis has long attracted interest in the Premier League after his goalscoring exploits in Greece.
| Vagiannidis (Right-back) | Ioannidis (Striker) | |
| Appearances (Starts) | 35 (28) | 39 (28) |
| Minutes Played | 2650 | 2620 |
| Goals | 1 | 11 |
| Assists | 1 | 1 |
| Yellow Cards | 8 | 7 |
He has hit 11 goals in 39 games across all competitions this term and is now the captain at Panathinaikos.
Both players are under contract in Athens until June 2028 but could be set to make the move to Portugal this summer.
Fulham setting sights on European football
Sporting sit second in the top flight but are just two points behind Benfica despite losing Ruben Amorim to Man United mid-season.
Meanwhile, Fulham sit eighth in the Premier League and will be setting their sights on European qualification this term.
The Cottagers are just five points adrift of the Champions League places with seven games of this season to play.
For more Fulham and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.