Over the weekend, Fulham were linked again with the Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone. It’s far from the first time we’ve been rumoured to be ready to swoop for Huddlestone’s services since Roy’s been at the club.
The difference now is that Huddlestone might well be on the move in the summer. He’s never really made the kind of impact Tottenham would have hoped for when they signed him from Derby County in 2005, largely because White Hart Lane seems to be a nice resting place for Premier League midfielders. I didn’t think Huddlestone had a particularly memorable game at the Cottage when we beat Spurs this season but then neither did any of his team-mates so you can’t hold that against him.
Huddlestone would bring several attributes to the Fulham side if we were able to sign him. His tall figure and powerful physique make him ideally suited to putting himself about but he’s not as limited as some of the holding options that Hodgson has at his disposal at the moment. I did think Martin Jol might have been joking when he compared Huddlestone to Franz Beckenbauer but the former England under-21 international does have impressive distribution as well as a powerful shot.
The problem is that Huddlestone has plenty of admirers in the top flight. Aston Villa are rumoured to be among them, which would make sure, especially when you consider that Martin O’Neill could be looking for a replacement for Gareth Barry should Villa fail to qualify for the Champions’ League. Huddlestone is frustrated by his lack of first team opportunities and you wouldn’t bet against him lining up for another club come August.
