Reported interest in Sunderland’s George Honeyman suggests Fulham are wary of Cairney situation

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Fulham’s Tom Cairney has been linked with Premier League side West Ham United.

According to a report in The Sun, Fulham have been linked with a summer move for Sunderland’s George Honeyman while Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday have also shown an interest.

The 23-year-old finished as Sunderland’s highest goal scoring midfielder last season but despite his efforts, the Black Cats suffered a second successive relegation and will play their football in League One next term.

Honeyman is a level above England’s third tier and he is almost certain to leave the Stadium of Light this summer with several clubs seemingly interesting in prising him away in a cut-price deal.

Fulham would be a good option for the player, though in the event of promotion the Cottagers would surely target more established higher-level players, therefore their reported interest suggests a contingency plan.

In Tom Cairney, Fulham have arguably the best central midfielder outside the Premier League and after winning the 2017 EFL Player of the Year award, he has again been nominated for the 2018 version.

Cairney would make the transition to Premier League football with relative ease, therefore should Fulham fail to get there via the playoffs, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see the midfielder depart Craven Cottage.

West Ham United have been credited with a strong interest in the 26-year-old, according to The Sun, and the Hammers will probably be wishing for Fulham to fall short in the playoffs to make signing him a potential option.

Cairney leaving Craven Cottage would leave a huge void to fill in the middle of the park, yet boss Slavisa Jokanovic must be aware of the situation and he may feel Honeyman could be a possible replacement.

The attack-minded Sunderland midfielder has been practically the only bright spark in an otherwise terrible season for the Mackems, scoring six goals and grabbing a further two assists in 37 league starts.

Honeyman may not be at Cairney’s level now, but the youngster does possess an abundance of potential and he certainly has the tools to one day feature as a regular Premier League midfielder.