Fulham Opinion: Nkoudou could add the X-Factor for the Cottagers
According to the Metro, Fulham have been credited with an interest in out-of-favour Tottenham star Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and Josh Onomah, with burgeoning talent Ryan Sessegnon expected to complete a move to North London over the next few weeks.
Sessegnon has been linked with a move to Spurs for more than a year now but Metro understands that there has been a recent breakthrough in talks between the two clubs over a potential deal for the England U21 international.
The same report claims that Sessegnon’s move to Spurs is set to be confirmed before the deadline, with a fee of £20million plus add-ons, making him a lucrative buy for the Lilywhites.
As far as Fulham’s interest in Nkoudou is concerned, it is still unclear whether the Frenchman is set to be included in either a part-exchange deal involving Sessegnon or if the Cottagers are looking at an outright transfer to bring the 24-year-old to Craven Cottage this summer.
Georges-Kevin Nkoudou made only three appearances for Spurs in all competitions this past season, one apiece in the Premier League, Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
The 24-year-old did remind the fans, though, that he is more than capable of making an impact, providing Harry Winks with an injury-time assist to seal a 2-1 victory over Fulham in the Premier League.
Nkoudou rose to prominence in France with Nantes and subsequently established himself as one of the brightest emerging prospects in his homeland at Marseille before earning a move to Spurs in the summer of 2016.
That, however, proved to be his undoing, as the former French U21 international found regular minutes hard to come by at North London in his debut season.
And things have hardly changed for the talented winger over the years, with Nkoudou accumulating only 26 appearances for the Lilywhites in all competitions till date, spending time on loan at Burnley and Monaco in the process.
To put things into perspective, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou might have cut a forlorn figure in Mauricio Pochettino’s ranks but it is worth mentioning here that he had arrived at Spurs as an immensely talented attacker with loads of potential. Lack of regular minutes has stalled his progress but he continues to be a fine young talent, nevertheless.
With that in mind, it probably won’t be a bad idea for Fulham to play a gamble on the Frenchman, who is reaching a stage of his career where he desperately needs to settle down to carve out a reputation for himself.
It is surprising that Spurs never really considered the option of sending him out on loan to a Championship club in order to help him continue his development but Nkoudou might get his escape route if Fulham firm up their interest over the coming weeks.
Fulham currently find themselves under pressure to balance the books with some offloading business after a season of heavy, yet fruitless, spending in the Premier League. The Cottagers are likely to lose several of their high-profile stars and bringing in Georges Kevin-Nkoudou could help them cope with the potential departures.
Scott Parker has already brought in the likes of Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert on loan from Wolves and Brighton respectively in a bid to add more firepower to his options up front, which currently consists of Floyd Ayite, Aboubakar Kamara, Neeskens Kebano and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
However, with Schurrle and Vietto out of the frame and Mitrovic expected to depart the club before the deadline, it is not surprising to see Fulham looking for a few more attackers to ensure that they have the right kind of balance in the Championship next season.
To Read More Spurs News, Click Here:- Latest Spurs News
Conclusion
Keeping that in mind, it is easy to see why a pacey and tricky winger like Nkoudou, who is capable of playing out wide on either flank, could be a real asset to the Cottagers next term, as they prepare to make a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.