Why Fulham should avoid signing Huddersfield winger Isaac Mbenza

According to French publication L’Equipe (h/t The Bournemouth Echo), Fulham are battling Bournemouth to sign Huddersfield Town winger Isaac Mbenza.

Isaac Mbenza, 23, joined Huddersfield Town on loan from Montpellier last season, featuring 22 times in the Yorkshire club’s failed attempt at avoiding relegation from the Premier League. He made his move to the Terriers permanent last summer.

The winger has made six appearances for Huddersfield Town this season but has featured just twice since Danny Cowley was appointed in September. His most recent outing came in a Championship win at Stoke City in October.

As far as Fulham are concerned, they are in good form, having won their three of their last five games in all competitions. The Cottagers saw off Middlesbrough 1-0 at Craven Cottage and drew 0-0 against Charlton before losing 4-0 to Man City in the FA Cup.

Michael Hector, Terrence Kongolo and Jordan Archer have all already arrived and with less than a week left for the January transfer window to slam shut, Scott Parker still has a chance to get in players. However, Fulham’s interest in Isaac Mbenza is baffling, to say the least.

Mbenza has never really adapted to the demands of English football since arriving from Ligue 1 in 2018. He was a proven goalscorer in France with Montpellier and came to England with the promise of having a similar impact.

But a move to Huddersfield hasn’t gone well for him. The winger has largely been an outcast at the John Smith’s Stadium, managing only a goal in 30 appearances.

Given that this is a player who has struggled to live up to the expectations at Huddersfield, Fulham would be better off not signing him. The Cottagers will miss Aleksandar Mitrovic for a handful of games due to an ankle injury he sustained against Hull City but Parker does have other options in the forward department to replace the Serb.

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In Bobby Reid, Aboubakar Kamara, Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert, Fulham have enough quality and competition in their attack for the rest of the campaign.

Verdict

A move away from Huddersfield is exactly what Mbenza needs in order to revitalise his faltering career. Nevertheless, Fulham must stay away from the winger.