Three Championship players Fulham could target

Jack Stroudley looks at some Championship options Fulham could sign this summer.

The Championship has shown time and time again it can be a smart place to pick up players and develop them for those in floating around mid-table in the Premier League. Jarrod Bowen at Hull, Ollie Watkins at Brentford and Jude Bellingham at Birmingham City just to name a few. I don’t feel like this is a summer for Fulham to make wholesale changes, with just a few players coming in here and there to improve the overall quality of both our starting XI and depth. Here are a few that could fit that bill.

Gustavo Hamer – Sheffield United

Gather round everybody, it’s time for my annual plea for Fulham to sign Gustavo Hamer. Anyone who knows me is reading this with both a collective sigh and chuckle as you’d think I have stocks and shares in this bloke the way I bang on about him – I just think he’s that good. I wanted us to sign Hamer when he was at Coventry, I then wanted us to sign Hamer when Sheffield United got relegated and I now want us to sign Hamer after winning Championship Player of the Season.

One thing that Fulham have lacked this season are goals from midfield. We were blessed with Joao Palhinha, Harrison Reed and Tom Cairney chipping in goals from deep during our first few Premier League campaigns under Marco Silva, but seem to have gone backwards in that department with just two substitute goals from TC this season. Hamer could be the answer to that question. I’m not saying he’d start for Fulham, but his ability to pick out a pass and chip in with a goal would be incredibly beneficial to us; 10 goal contributions for a woeful Sheffield United side two years ago and 16 of them this time around in the Championship. We won’t be the only side in for him but Fulham should absolute throw their hat into the ring.

Milan van Ewijk – Coventry City

By the time this comes out this one could actually be a bit redundant as Kenny Tete’s future is still undecided and I’d like to preface this with the fact I’d rather Tete stay at the club. If our lime bike-ring right-back is to go, then I wouldn’t be against us looking at van Ewijk. At times this season it has felt as though Fulham have been a bit one dimensional in attack with a lot of pressure falling on the shoulders of the flourishing Antonee Robinson to provide width on the flank and pick out someone in the box. I’m not saying that van Ewijk would be as good as Robinson but he’d certainly give us an extra dynamic on the right.

His Duracell-like battery is akin to Antonee Robinson’s and his ability to contribute with goals and assists would be beneficial to Marco Silva’s side with 11 goal contributions in the last two Championship campaigns. The one caveat that may deter Fulham is that Coventry City want around £20m for the 24-year-old which is a large chunk of change to depart with for someone who is unproven at Premier League level. Again, if Tete stays I’ll be a happy bunny but he’s certainly worth a look at if van Ewijk’s fellow Dutchman was to depart.

Kyle Walker-Peters – Southampton

If Tete were to depart this one feels a lot more likely, with Kyle Walker-Peters one of the few shining lights for a torrid Southampton side this season. Out of contract. the now 28-year-old will have a fair share of suitors. An experienced hand in the Premier League without a fee is the type of deal that Tony Khan licks his lips at and one that’s feasible if Tete were to leave.

An 88.92% pass completion puts him in the top 5% of full-backs in Europe along with 3.52 progressive carries putting him in the top 7% and 1.17 successful take-ons putting him in the top 10% showcases the attacking quality at Walker-Peters disposal and similarly to van Ewijk would provide a dynamism on the right that we have lacked at times this season. Like van Ewijk I would obviously rather Tete stay at the club but if that wasn’t the case, this is one I could see going through.