Fulham are battling former Craven Cottage boss Claudio Ranieri to sign £5 million-rated Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo during the summer transfer window, as reported by Goal.
The London-born 22-year-old might not be a household name at Stamford Bridge but, if there is no space for him in West London, fear not.
After all, it’s not as if there is a shortage of other clubs willing to give Ugbo a chance to prove his worth.
The England U20 international has scored 29 goals in the last two seasons out on loan, after all, with 16 of those coming during a spell at Cercle Brugge in Belgium.
Those eye-catching displays have caught the eye of scouts from all across the continent too.
Goal reports that, if Ugbo wants to stay in London, Chelsea’s next-door neighbours Fulham may be his destination.
A Sampdoria side coached by ex-Craven Cottage boss Ranieri are also interested, while Cercle Brugge have a £5 million option-to-buy clause in his contract.
Could the Belgian outfit be tempted to trigger that clause and then sell Ugbo on for an immediate profit?
A heart-wrenching 1-0 defeat to Wolves on Friday, coupled with Newcastle’s comeback win at Burnley, means Fulham are in real danger of an immediate return to the Championship.
It remains to be seen if the Cottagers opt to turn Josh Maja’s loan spell into a permanent transfer during the summer window. If they don’t, that could open up space for Ugbo to arrive.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
