Wednesday 15 August 2018 20:15, UK
Hugo Mallo has suggested he turned down an offer to join Fulham in favour of staying with Celta Vigo this summer.
The right-back - Celta's captain - was understood to be a target for the Whites ahead of transfer deadline day along with Valencia's Martin Montoya and Manchester United's Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
Fulham's director of football operations Tony Khan insisted on deadline day that "after we talked over all of our options internally, I decided to go in a different direction and pursue someone else" as the club signed Fosu-Mensah on loan.
Montoya joined Brighton on the same day while Mallo signed a new five-year contract at Celta this week, and he told Spanish newspaper Marca: "I knew the figures I was going to earn at Fulham, but in life it's not all about money and my aim was to continue at Celta.
"That's why the deal (to sign a new contract) was so quick and easy."
Fulham signed 12 players in the summer transfer window, including five on deadline day, as Luciano Vietto, Sergio Rico, Joe Bryan and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa joined Fosu-Mensah at Craven Cottage.
The west London club, who were promoted via the Championship play-offs last season, also signed Calum Chambers and Andre Schurrle on loan, and Alfie Mawson, Jean Michael Seri, Maxime Le Marchand, Aleksandar Mitrovic and goalkeeper Fabri on permanent deals.
The Whites lost their opening game of the season at home to Crystal Palace, however, succumbing 2-0 to strikes from Jeff Schlupp and Wilfried Zaha.
