Danny Murphy is close to leaving Fulham for Blackburn Rovers, according to reports from the north west.
The Fulham captain had a medical with the Championship club last night and Rovers are hopeful that discussions over a proposed two-year contract will be concluded shortly. The signing of the experienced 35 year-old midfielder would be a huge coup for Blackburn, who are aiming to bounce back to the top immediately after being relegated from the Premier League last season.
Murphy was offered a one-year contract extension by Fulham but appears to have chosen to accept the lengthier deal offered by Blackburn, who have also put together a more lucrative set of personal terms. The former Liverpool midfielder had attracted interest from Queens Park Rangers but he now seems set to sign with Rovers.
Fulham boss Martin Jol is understood to have told Murphy that he would not have been an automatic pick in his first choice midfield next season. The emergence of Mousa Dembele as a playmaking mdifielder and the signing of Mahamadou Diarra saw Murphy sometimes demoted to the substitutes’ bench in the second half of last season. Murphy has scored 29 goals in 204 appearances since joining Fulham on a free transfer from Tottenham in 2007 and captained the Whites to the final of the Europa League in 2010.