Fulham manager Martin Jol was asked about the reports linking Fulham with moves for Maxi Lopez and Andre-Pierre Gignac at this afternoon’s press conference.
He was fairly emphatic that he wouldn’t be reviving his interest in Gignac, despite suggestions from Marseille that an approach from Fulham might be forthcoming.
He didn’t play over the last couple of weeks and won’t be involved over the next week or so. He is not fit. I know a lot of good players that did not play for their teams over the last three or four months and I am not interested.
If you play in the Premier League, you have to be there [fit and ready]. If you take a player from a lower league who is playing games and scoring goals it is probably better than to take somebody who is not fit and probably have to wait four weeks for fitness. For me, it is only an issue if they would add something to my team.
The Fulham manager was fairly coy about comments from Catania’s sporting director that Fulham had placed an offer for Maxi Lopez. Jol implied that he would be keener on a loan deal for the former Barcelona striker.
They say there is no smoke without fire but our intention was never to buy Maxi Lopez. We have got an interest in good players but in a different sort of scenario.
