Fulham Opinion: Adam Forshaw could be a massive coup for the Cottagers
According to the Daily Mail, Fulham are interested in signing Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw, with reports claiming that manager Scott Parker is keen to bolster his ranks heading into the upcoming season in the Championship.
Forshaw, who joined Leeds United from Middlesbrough for a fee of £4.5 million back in January 2018, played a key role for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the Championship this past season, as the Whites lost out to Derby County in the playoff semi-finals.
However, Leeds are currently bracing themselves for approaches from several other clubs for some of their prized assets following their failure to secure promotion.
Jack Clarke has already been lined up by Spurs as a potential summer target, while Kalvin Phillips has attracted interest from a host of other Premier League sides, including newly-promoted Aston Villa. (h/t Daily Mail)
Fulham are also going through a similar phase at the moment, with the Cottagers currently under pressure to balance the books following their relegation from the Premier League.
The Craven Cottage-based outfit are set for a massive clear-out of players this summer, with several high-profile players, including the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Jean-Michael Seri, Andre Schurrle, Ryan Babel, Luciano Vietto, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, as well as, promising youngster Ryan Sessegnon all expected to leave the club.
Manager Scott Parker is faced with the task of guiding the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking and he has seemingly started for looking for affordable alternatives to replace the big names.
While a like-for-like replacement for Mitrovic up front continues to be a priority for Fulham, they also need to look for new players in other areas of the pitch. Central midfield is one such area that certainly needs some sorting out this summer, with the departure of Seri and Anguissa an inevitability.
Fulham, of course, are expected to have the services of captain Tom Cairney at their disposal in the Championship next season after the Scotsman committed his future to the club with a long-term contract.
Kevin McDonald was largely used as a fringe player in the Premier League but he was one of their key players in the Championship and the central midfielder would probably have a bigger part to play next term.
The Cottagers are also likely to have the services of Stefan Johansen right from the start of the upcoming campaign, given that the Norwegian is back at Craven Cottage following his loan spell at West Brom last term.
However, someone like Adam Forshaw could possibly add that little bit more depth and quality in a crucial area of the pitch for Fulham, although Leeds are unlikely to let go of one of their key players on the cheap.
A youth graduate of Everton, who rose to prominence with Wigan Athletic and Middlesbrough, Forshaw has established himself as one of the best players at Elland Road since his move from Middlesbrough in January last year. The 27-year-old made a total of 31 appearances for the Whites in the Championship this past season and was one of the key cogs of Bielsa’s midfield.
Essentially a central midfielder by trade, Forshaw is a strong, tenacious and hard-working presence in the middle of the park who excels with his impressive range of passing and ability to control possession for his team.
To add to that, he is adept at dealing with the transitions in play and cutting out attacks with crucial interventions, whilst also possessing the ability to contribute to the attack with driving runs from the midfield.
Forshaw averaged 44.7 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 88.2 in the Championship last term, including 3.6 long balls, 0.9 key passes and 2.2 tackles, figures which speak volumes of his ability to retain possession, move the ball around and cut out attacks in the middle of the park.
Moreover, his wealth of Premier League and Championship experience could prove handy for a promotion-chasing team like Fulham.
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Keeping that in mind, Fulham have every reason to look at Adam Forshaw as a marquee signing in the Championship this summer, although they still have plenty of other bases to cover before the season gets underway. All in all, the 27-year-old could be a useful addition to Fulham’s ranks.
