Fulham want to sign ‘clever’ midfielder in January who can do ‘amazing things’ with the ball

Fulham are looking towards the January transfer window already and want to sign Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah next month.

Given that Marco Silva’s team is improving as the season enters its second half, Craven Cottage may witness a number of arrivals and departures the following month.

Joao Palhinha’s future will probably be the primary topic of conversation because the Portuguese are still associated with a departure.

A number of center forwards have also been linked to the Whites, though Raul Jimenez seems to have found his shooting touch during the most recent international break.

If Silva’s Fulham team is to make a name for itself in the Premier League this year, he will need to confront the fact that his roster is among the oldest in the league.

Given that Pierre Ekwah is still making an impression in the Championship, Fulham may be interested in signing him from Sunderland for this reason.

The French youth international was released by West Ham earlier this year without making a senior appearance.

He’s established himself in England’s second tier but may leave the Stadium of Light before their dream of returning to the Premier League is realised.

Fulham want to sign Ekwah in January

The report from TEAMTalk suggests that Fulham, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are all closely monitoring the 21-year-old.

Hopefully, Ekwah was watching events at Craven Cottage last week when Silva’s side demolished Forest before dismantling West Ham to move into the top half of the league.

The report goes on to say that West Ham have a sizeable sell-on fee which could affect Sunderland’s asking price.

Ekwah has been highly praised by former manager Tony Mowbray this season who said: “That part of his game is really coming along, and I keep telling him that if he can develop that physical aspect of his game then what a footballer we’ve got because he can do amazing things with his feet,” said Mowbray. “He’s so clever with his feet, you can see how fast his feet are, and he can see pictures.

“He’s a good footballer, so if he can just add the off-the-ball stuff then he’ll be even better. He’s doing exceptionally well.”

The Frenchman would be a good match for the team in the Harrison Reed role, moving all over the pitch to link offense and defense while putting in a solid defensive shift.

Ekwah fits Silva’s apparent preference for his midfielders because he is a skilled distributor rather than a dribbler.

Carrying the ball past opponents is not as effective as picking out teammates, as demonstrated by players like Reed, Joao Palhinha, and Tom Cairney.

His wingers and Andreas Pereira are usually in charge of it, giving Fulham a little bit more security during turnovers.

One of the best schools in the nation is Fulham’s, so there may be a hint of disappointment if young talent is brought in from outside the system instead of giving those already there a chance.

But Ekwah has shown in the Championship that he is capable of doing so, so Fulham would be well-positioned going forward if they were to sign him and perhaps loan him out for a period of 18 months.