According to The Sun, Fulham are weighing up a move for Chelsea centre-back Michael Hector, who has earned rave reviews on his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship this season.
Hector, who recently won the Player of the Year award at Sheffield Wednesday, is a firm fan favourite at Hillsborough and has expressed his desire to join the Owls on a permanent basis in the summer, The Sun understands.
The 26-year-old Jamaican international is out of contract at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2020, so it will make sense for the Blues to cash in on him at the end of this season rather than allow him to go out on loan for another campaign and eventually walk away on a free transfer.
The former Reading man, who joined Chelsea back in the summer of 2015, has never really been close to making the grade at Stamford Bridge and is yet to make a single competitive appearance for the Blues.
He has spent time on loan as a part of Chelsea’s loan army over the last three years or so, havings stints with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga and Hull City in the Championship before moving out on loan to Hillsborough last summer.
Hector has been a raging success at Sheffield Wednesday this season and has made a total of 37 appearances in the Championship for the Owls, scoring twice. However, if the Jamaican international does want to play in the Premier League at some point in time, a move to newly-relegated Fulham would make better sense.
To put things into perspective, Fulham are set for a massive squad overhaul this summer after their relegation from the Premier League, as the Cottagers look to trim their wage bill and get themselves ready for a long and hard slog in the Championship next season.
The west Londoners spent a fortune last summer but they still did not succeed in beating the drop in the Premier League, thanks largely to their porous and vulnerable defence that has shipped 77 goals so far.
Fulham’s leaky defence has been one of the major reasons behind their undoing in the Premier League. Although one would deem their current defensive options good enough for the Championship, the Cottagers should look to bring in some experienced seasoned-campaigners at the back.
And Michael Hector is certainly amongst those centre-backs who has thrived for nearly a decade in the second-tier.
The Cottagers have the likes of Tim Ream and Denis Odoi, both of whom are expected to remain with the club in their Championship campaign, while loanees like Calum Chambers, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Havard Nordtveit are expected to head for the exit door.
Alfie Mawson is also unlikely to drop down a division and stick around at Craven Cottage, having already proven his worth in the Premier League with Swansea City.
And that is exactly the reason why someone like Mickael Hector would be an ideal signing for Fulham. The 6ft.4 inch centre-back has been a picture of reliability at Hillsborough this season and the Cottagers should look at him as a viable option heading into the transfer window.
Quick across the ground, dominant in the air and strong on the tackle, Hector can be a useful presence at the back with his ability to read the game to perfection, while also keeping the opposition at bay with crucial tackles and interceptions.
Hector averages 3.4 aerial duels, 2.1 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 5.4 clearances and 4.3 successful long balls per game in the Championship this term, figures which speak volumes of his well-rounded attributes as a centre-back.
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Hence, it is not difficult to see why Fulham might do their chances of making an immediate return to the Premier League a world of good by striking a deal for the out of favour Chelsea man this summer.