Scott Parker wants Fulham to secure new arrivals as soon as possible in order to avoid a deadline day rush.

Fulham have been playing catch up for most of the season largely as a result of delayed recruitment in the summer transfer window, something Parker obliquely referenced in his post-match press conference following Fulham’s narrow derby defeat to Chelsea on Saturday:

We were three or four games in before we did a lot of our business and a lot of points were at stake really. So, of course, we’d like to try and get the business in early because it gives you an opportunity to work with the player, gives them a quicker time to settle in, and obviously you don’t miss as many games.

We understand the difficulties of this window and it is a short turnaround but I’d like to do business early, I’d like to get players in. Hopefully we can get some help because we do need it in certain areas.

The Fulham boss has already spoken about the importance of adding a striker to his squad. Aleksandar Mitrovic has missed the last two games with a calf problem picked up in the FA Cup win at QPR and Ivan Cavaleiro, who has filled in as a makeshift centre forward, missed a glorious chance just before half-time to put the Whites ahead against Chelsea.