Fulham's Rui Fonte is closing in on a return to Braga, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola.

The striker has fallen out of contention at Craven Cottage over the last few months, and his fortunes haven't changed since Scott Parker took over as manager, which is why the club is happy to let him leave.

It is reported that Fonte will join Braga on a free - where he spent two years before arriving in London - but Fulham have included a clause that entitles them to 30% of any future transfer fee, which would allow them to recoup some of the money spent on him in 2017.

Fonte spent last season on loan at Lille but prior to that made 28 appearances in Fulham's promotion season, but his three goals and five assists were deemed not good enough for the Premier League by Slavisa Jokanovic, who allowed him to depart.

Now with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Aboubakar Kamara and Bobby Reid ahead of him in the squad, it seemed inevitable that he would depart this summer.

The Verdict

Rui Fonte could have had a role to play this season and acted as an impact sub as he did for most of the campaign in the 2017/18 season.

However, Scott Parker clearly didn't fancy him and he didn't contribute a great deal in terms of goals and assists so it is probably best to move him on, particularly as it is likely the player also wanted a move away.

It is disappointing not to pick up a transfer fee but Fulham will at least have freed up his wages, which would be better spent on retaining players who offer quality at this level.