Three Transfers Fulham Should Look To Complete This January
Fulham sit 4 places and 4 points off a play-off spot currently and frankly, all things considered, they don’t currently look like having enough to get themselves into the coveted spot.
They managed it last season with a storming late run, pipping Leeds to 6th place, who themselves looked booked for a promotion chance for most of the season, though despite keeping hold of Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon as well as signing numerous others, they do not seem to have improved.
Left-back Scott Malone is a big miss while Sone Aluko’s absence may be a bigger miss than some people cared to think. So work will need to be done in January to rectify this. Slavisa Jokanovic probably can’t afford to sell any first-team squad players, so here are three he may look to bring in:
Dwight Gayle (Striker, Newcastle United – In)
Assuming they are willing to pay out another big fee after signing Rui Fonte, Gayle would be an obvious capture for Fulham mid-season.
They tried to buy him before they went in for Fonte, which is one tick in the box, and also his record of having scored 23 goals in 32 Championship appearances confirms the level he is at and he alone could drag Fulham up into the play-off places.
True, Gayle has injury problems, but with the above taken into consideration and the fact that he is now down the pecking order at St. James’ Park the transfer is a very realistic option.
Joe Bryan (Left-Back, Bristol City – In)
Bristol City’s left-back and occasional left-midfielder is in sensational form this season and would fit into Fulham’s attacking ethos perfectly, essentially doing the Scott Malone role filled this season by Ryan Sessegnon.
Fulham are completely suppressing the talent of Sessegnon, just like Tottenham Hotpsur did with Gareth Bale when even after his San Siro hat-trick and heroics going forward, the Merson-approved tactical genius that is Harry Redknapp still told everyone that Bale would be a long-term attacking left-back.
So for Fulham to get the best out of Ryan Sessegnon, they need a left-back anyway.
Ben Marshall (Midfielder, Wolverhampton Wanderers – In)
The largely out-of-favour midfield player is a fine passer of the ball and could fit in nicely with the way Fulham play. If they are to persist with a 4-3-3 formation rather than last year’s favoured 4-2-3-1, then they could still use another midfield player and Wolves seem willing to let Marshall go.