Burnley, Blackburn Rovers, and Derby County set to miss out on ex-Fulham player | OneFootball

Al Ettifaq in talks to sign Marek Rodak amid links to Burnley, Blackburn, Hull City, and Derby County.

Steven Gerrard’s Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq are in talks to sign ex-Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak amid interest from Burnley, Hull City, Blackburn Rovers, and Derby County.

That is according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who states that Al Ettifaq are working on a deal to sign the goalkeeper, with talks taking place.

Rodak is currently without a club, having left Fulham at the end of last month following the expiration of his contract.

The goalkeeper has been linked with a move to the Championship in recent days, but it now appears a move to Saudi Arabia looks more likely.

It was reported by Alan Nixon that teams such as Hull City, Blackburn Rovers, and Derby County were all interested in signing the 27-year-old.

Burnley have also been credited with an interest, but his terms are said to have put the Lancashire side off.

As previously stated, Rodak is currently a free agent after leaving Premier League side Fulham at the end of last month.

The goalkeeper has been playing football in England for several years now, but it appears that could soon be coming to an end.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Rodak is currently in talks with Al Ettifaq over possibly joining the Saudi Arabian side.

The club, which is currently managed by former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, is working on a deal to sign the goalkeeper, with their interest being concrete.

If Rodak was to join Al Ettifaq, he would be playing alongside players such as Jack Hendry, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Damarai Gray.

Rodak’s Fulham stats

Rodak first joined Fulham in 2013 on loan from MKF Kosice, spending six months at Craven Cottage before joining the club on a permanent basis that summer.

The goalkeeper then played for the club’s under-18s and under-21s before he went and had loan spells at teams such as Farnborough, Welling United, Accrington Stanley, and Rotherham United.

Rodak’s last loan spell came in 2019 with the Millers, and he has been at Craven Cottage ever since, fighting for a place in the starting XI.

The 27-year-old played 93 times for the Cottagers, conceding 91 goals and keeping an impressive 38 clean sheets.

Rodak didn’t appear for the club in the top flight last season, but he did play five times in the FA Cup and EFL Cup combined.

A Championship move for Rodak was always unlikely

It is clear that there were Championship teams interested in signing Rodak, with the likes of Burnley, Hull, Blackburn, and Derby making their interest known.

But a move to the second tier always seemed unlikely, as Rodak has been a Premier League player for a few years now, so he would be demanding significant wages that more than probably these clubs were willing to pay.

Therefore, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that he looks to be joining a team outside of the Championship.

Rodak joining Al Ettifaq will allow him to probably continue getting the same wages he was on at Fulham, and he plays in a new country with a lifestyle that is probably too hard to turn down for him and his family.