The London club remains in discussions with Rennes in an attempt to reach an agreement for the 20-year-old Moroccan centre-back, according to reports, even after their first bid was turned down by the French side.
Aït Boudlal, who made 21 appearances for Rennes last season, remains keen on the idea of testing himself in the Premier League, giving Fulham reason for optimism despite the initial setback. The centre-back, who joined Rennes' academy from Morocco's Mohammed VI Football Academy, has established himself as one of the club's most promising young defenders since making his first-team debut last season.
Fulham are not relying solely on Aït Boudlal to solve their defensive needs, however, and continue to explore other options as they look to strengthen at the back. The club have submitted an offer for Natan, the Brazilian centre-back at Real Betis, while Marseille defender Léonardo Balerdi has also been offered to the Cottagers by his representative agency, Unique Sports.
All three cases remain under consideration at Fulham as the club looks to accelerate its recruitment in defence before the transfer window closes, with the situation around Aït Boudlal likely to be the one determining how much further the club needs to explore its other options.
Aït Boudlal's rise at Rennes has been rapid, having only made his Ligue 1 debut last season before quickly establishing himself as a regular in the side's back line.
Standing well over six feet tall, he has drawn comparisons for his physical presence and composure on the ball, qualities that have made him a target for several clubs beyond Fulham this summer.
Rennes, for their part, have shown no urgency to sell, with the club's valuation of the defender understood to sit well above the level of Fulham's opening approach, leaving the two sides with ground still to cover if a deal is to be reached before the window shuts.