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Fulham and Portsmouth compete with Atletico Madrid for defender

Fulham and Portsmouth have both emerged as rivals to Spanish side Atletico Madrid for the signature of Croat defender Josip Simunic from Hertha Berlin. The international centre-back has declared his intention to quit his current side this summer, alerting a number of Premiership sides to his availability.

Simunic was elected into the equivalent of the German PFA-Team of the Year by his fellow professionals, but is believed to have grown disenchanted with the Hertha management over the course of the off-season. Apparently Hertha manager Lucian Favre was summoned for talks with the board of the Berlin-based club and was told that he had to achieve a transfer surplus of �5 million. Simunic was targeted as the player, who could make them the profit, after the manager expressed the opinion he wasn’t certain he could repeat last season’s excellent performance at the heart of the Hertha defence. This has angered Simunic, who feels disrespected by the club, and has instructed his agent to immediately find him a new club.

Simunic, according to German tabloid Bild, has a get-out clause in his contract of �7 million, so long as he activates it by the end of the month, giving Simunic just over a week to find a new club. This news has alerted several Premiership clubs to his potential, including Portsmouth and Fulham, both of whom are looking at defensive reinforcements for next season.

The Premiership duo may face some pretty stiff competition for his signature, as Atletico Madrid are also believed to be in the hunt for Simunic. Despite finishing fourth in La Liga they struggled at times with defence, and hope that the addition of an experienced head such as Simunic could add much needed stability to the back-line.

If Simunic does come to England, one person who won’t be pleased is ex-referee Graham Poll. Simunic was the defender he famously showed three yellow cards to in the World Cup Group match in 2006 in Germany between Croatia and Australia before eventually sending him off.

Posted by Walter Townsend on Friday, 19th June 2009

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