Fulham have now made a bid of €25m (£22m) for Benfica defender Morato, who is keen on a move to Craven Cottage this summer, according to a recent report from Maisfutebol.
What's the latest Fulham transfer news?
At the moment, Fulham appear to be bracing for a couple of major departures, with Aleksandar Mitrovic reportedly telling relatives he will never play for the club again, in light of them valuing him at £52m to ward off interest from Al Hilal.
Marco Silva's future is also in doubt, with the manager's agents meeting with representatives of Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli in London, to discuss a potential £40m deal to manage in the Saudi Pro League.
With the future of their star striker and manager up in the air, it is a worrying time for Fulham, however, they still remain active in the transfer market, having recently submitted a bid of £15m for Ajax defender Calvin Bassey.
However, considering the Dutch side paid £20m for the 23-year-old last summer, it seems unlikely they would be willing to part with him for a lower amount, and the Cottagers have now identified Morato as a major target.
That is according to a report from Portuguese outlet Maisfutebol (via Sport Witness), which states that Fulham have now stepped up their interest in the Benfica defender by lodging a "decisive" offer of €25m (£22m) in order to acquire his services.
Silva's side are willing to offer the 22-year-old a significantly-improved salary package, which would nearly quadruple his wages, and the player himself would be keen on a move to Craven Cottage.
The Brazilian has allegedly instructed Benfica to accept the proposal made by the west London club, but Benfica have already turned down four bids in recent days, so it remains to be seen whether £22m is deemed to be a high enough offer.
Who is Morato?
The Francisco Morato-born defender initially made his breakthrough with Sao Paulo, attracting the attention of Benfica, where he has spent the last four seasons, making a total of 50 appearances for the Portuguese club.
However, the 6 foot 3 centre-back has been unable to cement a regular place in the starting XI, making a total of just nine outings in the league last season.
Given that Benfica won the league title last season, it is understandable that the former Sao Paulo man was not able to break into the first team, and he could still be a quality signing for Fulham.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Benfica ace as "magnificent", while also claiming he "has everything to become a world-class centre-back."
One of the £8k-per-week defender's best attributes is his passing ability, having averaged a pass-completion rate of 90% over the past year, which places him in the 96th percentile compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.
It would certainly be a risk for Fulham to sign Morato, given that he only has very limited first-team experience, but he is still very young and he is showing signs that he could go on to be a top player.
