Fulham were intriguing to watch in the Championship last season and quite justifiably, they got themselves promoted to the Premier League. However, Slavisa Jokanovic isn’t unfamiliar with the animosity that the top flight offers and there is no denying that his team needs more fine-tuning in order to stand their ground against the big guns they will be facing from next month.
The Cottagers have already made a couple of shrewd signings in Jean Michael Seri and Maxime Le Marchand. Considering that Fulham splashed £27million to lure the former to the Craven Cottage from OGC Nice, it is evident that Jokanovic isn’t afraid to spend on the right players to enhance the quality of his arsenal. According to one of the latest reports by Mail Online, Fulham are currently in negotiations with Espanyol to sign David Lopez.
The La Liga outfit have slapped a price tag of £35million on the collar of Lopez and it goes without saying that the club rates him very highly. Football Espana had reported that Fulham had placed an initial bid of €15million, which they later increased to €20million. However, Espanyol are holding out for €40million for their skipper.
Worryingly for the London based outfit, Everton have also placed him on their radar and it will be intriguing to see which club has the last laugh, in case Lopez’s exit from RCDE Stadium eventually materializes. Having emerged through the youth ranks of Espanyol, the 28-year-old was elevated to their senior side. In the summer of 2014, he was signed by Napoli and after a couple of seasons with the Italian giants, he moved back to Espanyol.
Predominantly a centre-back, Lopez is capable of plying his trade as a central defensive midfielder and is a strong tackler. He has garnered plenty of experience under his belt and no wonder Fulham are aspiring for his signature. In 37 La Liga appearances last season, he scored 1 goal. Besides, he mustered 1.8 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 4.2 clearances and 0.7 blocks per game on an average.
Lopez is generally calm and composed at the back and despite not being accustomed to English football, he has the ingredients to thrive. He will be a valuable addition to Fulham and help them in injecting more resilience at the back. Espanyol have already lost their top scorer of last season in Gerard Moreno, who moved to Villareal, and the Catalan club are justifiably trying to avoid losing Lopez this summer.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
