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Fulham have a fairly large squad of players who are frankly not very impressive at all. This team has to get better if it wants to have any chance of competing for a promotion spot next season. Unfortunately, you can’t just blow up the squad and replace it with all new players. Some of them are under contract, and to get rid of them; you have to find a taker. Realistically, if they can’t cut it at Fulham, who’s going to want them?
All that being said, these players are good enough, cheap enough, or Fulham should be willing to eat enough of their contract to make them so such that they can be moved on.
The Departed
Fulham have already let go of Moussa Dembele, Shaun Hutchinson, Dan Burn, Emerson Hyndman, and Alexander Kacaniklic. Along with these players, we’d love to see the following players end their time with the club.
Nikolay Bodurov
He seemed like a good buy low option for the club. With both Fulham and FC Midtjylland showing interest in him, there’s probably a statistical reason to like him. Unfortunately, the Championship might just be one level too high. He seemed to do well in the Danish Superliga, and perhaps Midtjylland would like him back? Maybe a move back to Bulgaria would suit him? With only one year left on his contract, he should be able to be moved and I’m not sure a single fan would miss him.
Maarten Stekelenburg
How far can a player fall? He’s still only 33. He has started a world cup final. He was the starting keeper in a World Cup Final. He was worth an eight digit transfer fee. Now Fulham is going to basically have to give him away. We’ve covered rumors of his departure already. The only question is whether Fulham loans him out again and he leaves on a free when his contract is up in a year or if Fulham can get something for him in a transfer.
Ben Pringle
He seemed like the kind of player we needed when we signed him. It just didn’t work out for him at the club. With another year left, and an option after that Fulham hold all the cards with him, but haven’t shown a desire to keep him around. He was loaned to Ipswich last year, and rumors have connected him with Rangers this offseason. If Fulham can unload him, they should take the opportunity to do so.
Fernando Amorebieta
One of the few veterans left from the time in the Premier League, he’s also one of the highest earners on the team. The team have an offer for him, but are holding out for a better one. I’m not sure it’s worth holding out. Get his salary off the books and invest it into someone younger and better. At best his a marginal left back and an adequate center back. At worst he’s a card waiting to happen. And while accumulating cards might not be repeatable year by year, fouling is; and he lead the team in fouls per game. Tim Ream can do most everything he can do at left back and center back, can also play in midfield, and has played right back in a pinch. All while fouling at a rate four times lower.
Jazz Richards
Fulham have two young left backs on the team. Jazz Richards is the older and less talented of the two. I’d like to see an upgrade there, and if you bring one in, Richards should be going. While he is under contract until 2018, with an additional option year, I can’t see Fulham keeping him around. He’s been the weak link multiple times in a defense that is bad by every measure. If they can unload him, they should. Unfortunately, he might be the hardest player on this list to get rid of.
That’s our list. Next time we’ll be looking at players we want to re-sign and discussing the players that are remaining and what their role might be. Until then, do you agree? Want one of these guys to stay? Think someone else needs to be cut loose? Feel free to leave a comment and let us know how wrong we are.