Sampdoria defender Omar Colley in action. (Getty Images)
According to Twitter claims from Italian top-tier journalist Gianluigi Longari (h/t Chronicle Live), Fulham are currently in talks with Italian club Sampdoria over a potential deal for in-demand centre-back Omar Colley.
The reputed insider adds that Premier League rivals Newcastle United are also in the race to sign the 27-year-old defender, who has also been courted by Scottish giants Celtic this summer.
Omar Colley started his senior career with Wallidan and Real de Banjul in his native Gambia before earning a move to Europe with Finnish top-flight club KuPS. He subsequently caught the eye for Swedish giants Djurgardens IF before going on to make a big impression at Genk in Belgium.
The 27-year-old made 95 appearances for Genk in all competitions over the course of two full seasons, playing every minute of the club’s Europa League campaign in 2016-17 as the Belgian giants made it all the way through to the quarter-final.
Colley eventually earned a move to Italian club Sampdoria in the summer of 2018 and has since established himself as a top-quality central defender in the Serie A, making 57 appearances in all competitions.
Fulham made the headlines earlier in the summer after securing a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking but the Cottagers have endured a torrid start to life back in the top-flight. Scott Parker’s side have lost each of their first four games in the PL this season, conceding 11 goals and scoring just 3 in the process.
To that end, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Fulham are in urgent need of bringing in some quality reinforcements at the back to stop the rut and Omar Colley certainly fits the bill as a tried and tested option in one of the top leagues in Europe.
The left-footed centre-back certainly has quite a lot of experience under his belt, having made more than 270 appearances in his club career. Add to that his towering 6ft 3in frame, which clearly suggests that the Gambian international has the physicality to cope with the rough-and-tough nature of the English game.
The Cottagers conceded 81 goals and finished bottom of the table in the Premier League back in 2018-19, so the club’s ambitious owners need to do everything in their power to make sure that they don’t face a repeat of such ignominy.
It is quite obvious from the above discussion that Omar Colley ticks the box as an upgrade on Fulham’s existing options at the heart of the defence. Regardless of that, the 27-year-old’s arrival would certainly improve competition for places at the back, thus providing Parker with valuable cover in the club’s bid for survival.