Fulham’s quest for further midfield reinforcements has the Premier League new boys mulling moves for Coventry City’s Gustavo Hamer and Crystal Palace veteran Luka Milivojevic, according to the Sun.
Hamer had an excellent campaign under Mark Robins in the Championship last season – shining as the Sky Blues finished twelve and completed an impressive double over the Whites. Those particular performances left a real impression upon Fulham head coach Marco Silva, who is keen to sign the 25 year-old.
But Coventry would be reluctant to sell one of their key players and, as the Dutch youth international, put pen to paper on a new deal at the Ricoh Stadium in March. Hamer has made 85 appearances for City, who are believed to want around £10m in order to part with his services.
Silva’s search for further dependable outlets in the engine room has led them to Serbian international Luka Milivojevic. The 31 year-old holding midfielder is not in Patrick Vieira’s plans for the forthcoming season and is open to remaining in the capital. Fulham are willing to pay a small fee but negotiations between the clubs did not progress successfully earlier in the window. Millivojevic would join his close friend Aleksandar Mitrovic at the Cottage and become Fulham’s second signing of the summer after Joao Palhinha.
I don’t believe Millivojevic would add anything positive to Fulham at this point in his career.
Fulham could do worse. Milivojevic had a down year last season for a number of reasons unrelated directly to form (death of his father, etc.), but he’s an experienced, cool, head who knows his way around the Prem and how to keep a side in the league. Not flashy, but he knits a side together well; the sort of player a lot of (ignorant) fans fail to appreciate because they want only big-name signings. His time with us (Palace) is probably done but he’d serve a promoted side looking to establish themselves in the Prem well and for a low fee, it’d be a no-brainer for Fulham. Plus, 31 is hardly old these days. No reason he hasn’t got 2-3 decent seasons left in him.
Either way woks, but last year Gustov cut us to bits both times he played against us. Not too many players did that to us last year.