Fulham have been handed a boost in their pursuit of PSV Eindhoven midfielder Erick Gutierrez, as he has recently confirmed he will consider his future, should offers come in for him this summer.
Who could Fulham sign this summer?
The Cottagers are believed to be in the market for a number of new players this summer, and they have recently held 'informal contacts' with agents about the potential signing of FC Porto star Mateus Uribe, who's available for free this summer.
Uribe may be targeted as a replacement for Joao Palhinha, as journalist Dean Jones has confirmed that a number of Premier League clubs are interested in the Portugal international, including Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Central midfield is not the only area Marco Silva is keen to strengthen in the upcoming window, having made contact with Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech, while Borussia Monchengladbach defender Joe Scally could also be targeted.
A report from March detailed that Gutierrez is a summer target for the Cottagers, and they have now been handed a boost in their pursuit of the midfielder, as he has confirmed he will consider offers from elsewhere this summer.
As relayed by Soccer News (via Sport Witness), the PSV ace said: “My children are now three and four years old, born here and completely used to the environment,”
“I will soon be here for five years, and the club is in my heart, forever. If offers come in, I’ll look at them calmly with my agent and it’s also important what PSV want.”
Should Fulham sign Erick Gutierrez?
The Mexican has received regular game time for PSV so far this season, making 25 appearances in the Eredivisie, although a fair few of those have been as a substitute, owing to the solid performances of Ibrahim Sangare and Joey Veerman.
Having averaged 2.97 tackles per 90 in the past year, ranking in the 89th percentile compared to his positional peers, the 27-year-old is very solid defensively, which indicates he could be a good replacement for Palhinha.
The £14k-per-week maestro's defensive attributes are not his only strength, however, with journalist Cesar Hernandez claiming he's capable of doing "a little bit of everything", due to his ability to play in defence, and occasionally get on the scoresheet.
Gutierrez would be a versatile option for Silva, having played as far back as centre-back five times in his last 50 appearances, and Fulham should definitely look to make an offer in the summer.