Fulham boss Chris Coleman has revealed that Steed Malbranque has already shunned one potential exit route from Craven Cottage by turning down an unnamed club.
The French midfielder is refusing to sign a new deal with the London side, and Coleman is now determined to recoup a transfer fee for the former Lyon man.
Malbranque is highly unlikely to feature for Fulham as he looks for a lucrative Bosman switch next summer, and could find himself frozen out of the first team picture at the Premiership side.
However the Frenchman has still opted to turn down an unnamed admirer, with his high wage demands reportedly a sticking point.
“There has been interest and we accepted an offer from one club, but he didn’t want to talk to them,” revealed Coleman in The Daily Star.
Middlesbrough, West Ham and Newcastle are all known to be keen on the 26-year-old, and Coleman has reiterated his strong stance on the midfielder’s future, highlighting the need for The Cottagers to replace the player who will not feature in the coming campaign if he stays at his current club.
“We need to replace Steed,” Coleman added. “If he is stuck with us, then he won’t play for us. Steed doesn’t want to sign a deal with us, he wants to leave. He wants to see his contract out and walk away for nothing, and we can’t let him do that.”
