Fulham are in active negotiations with Rayo Vallecano over the signing of Romanian right-back Andrei Ratiu, with the 28-year-old understood to be receptive to a move to Craven Cottage.

Manager Alvaro Arbeloa is eager to reinforce his defensive options before Tuesday night's transfer window closes, and Ratiu — a versatile defender capable of operating across the backline — fits the profile the club are targeting.

A career built in Spain

Ratiu grew up in Romania before making the move to Spain as a youth, joining Villarreal's academy and spending the bulk of his career on Iberian soil. A loan stint at Dutch side ADO Den Haag represented the sole exception to his otherwise Spain-centric development.

He departed Villarreal for Huesca before eventually earning his La Liga debut following a transfer to Rayo Vallecano in 2023, where he has established himself as a reliable presence on the right flank.

A busy window for the Cottagers

Fulham have moved swiftly in this transfer window under Arbeloa, who took charge this summer after Marco Silva's departure. The club have brought in striker Gonzalo Garcia and attacker Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid, and midfielder Shea Charles from Southampton.

They have also made permanent the loan deal that brought forward Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich, signalling the club's intent to build depth across all areas of the squad.

On the pitch, results have been mixed. Fulham fell to a 3-2 home defeat against rivals Chelsea in their Premier League curtain-raiser on Monday, though they responded with a commanding 3-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup on Thursday.