Fulham 'open to' £6.3m star now leaving Craven Cottage | OneFootball

Fulham may have told defender Kevin Mbabu he can leave Craven Cottage this month, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Switzerland international was signed by the Cottagers during the summer transfer window but has barely featured for Marco Silva’s side.

It’s been a surprisingly busy week for Mbabu in the transfer gossip columns.

On Tuesday, TuttoMercatoWeb linked him with a shock move to Manchester United, claiming negotiations over an Old Trafford switch were at an ‘advanced stage’, while Serie A outfit Monza were mentioned as potential suitors.

Meanwhile, Mbabu has – perhaps more realistically – been mooted as a target for two unnamed Championship clubs by Sky Sports (via FLW).

In any case, the news comes as some surprise considering the 27-year-old only joined Fulham from Wolfsburg in the summer in a deal worth an initial £6.3m.

But with Fulham performing above expectations as they find themselves competing for European qualification, Mbabu has struggled to break into the side, managing just a single Premier League start.

What has Dean Jones said about Kevin Mbabu?

Responding to the shock links with Manchester United, Jones suggested that Mbabu will be allowed to leave the west London club this month.

He told GiveMeSport: “I think Mbabu has probably been told he could move on from Fulham if the right opportunity came along. It’s surprising that the move to Fulham hasn’t worked out for him.

“He hasn’t worked his way into the team or been convincing enough when he has done, so I think Fulham will be open to the idea.”

Can Fulham afford to lose Mbabu?

It’s clear Mbabu isn’t having much of an impact on the first-team as things stand, but they could end up a little short if the former Newcastle man does move on this month.

Kenny Tete is the first-choice right-back, while midfielder Bobby De Cordova-Reid has ended up deputising there for much of the season. Tosin Adarabioyo could do a job out wide if needed, but he’s been a key feature for the Cottagers at centre-half this season.

On paper at least, Mbabu is the only other natural right-back in Silva’s squad, so perhaps Fulham would be wise to bring in a direct replacement if they are planning on letting the 22-cap international leave this month.

While Silva’s found other solutions at No.2 so far this term, having a second natural right-back at his disposal could prove crucial to Fulham’s European hopes should Tete suffer a serious injury in the coming months.