Fulham have recently announced that Maxime Le Marchand has joined RC Strasbourg for an undisclosed fee this summer.
The defender signed for the Cottagers back in 2018, having previously been on the books with the likes of Le Havre and Nice earlier in his career.
He made 48 appearances in total for the London-based club, but found regular minutes hard to come by in recent seasons, which has seen him depart Craven Cottage on a permanent basis.
Le Marchand made just four appearances for the Cottagers last term, as they were relegated back into the Championship after a brief spell in the top-flight.
The 31-year-old spent part of last year's campaign on loan with Belgian side Royal Antwerp, as he went in search of regular minutes.
He's joined an RC Strasbourg side that finished 15th in the Ligue 1 table last term, and they'll be hoping for an improved finish in those standings this season.
Speaking to Fulham's official website after Le Marchand's departure was confirmed, Tony Khan wished the defender well in his future endeavours.
"I want to wish Maxime all the best for the next step of his career at Strasbourg. He’s a talented defender, and he’s also a very kind person, earning the moniker of ‘nicest man in the world’ from his teammates and our staff.
"We very much enjoyed and value his contributions to Fulham since he first joined us in 2018; he’ll be missed. Good luck Max!"
Fulham are set to return to action this weekend, when they take on Stoke City, in what could potentially be a tricky test for Marco Silva's side at Craven Cottage.
The Verdict:
This is the best move for all parties involved.
Le Marchand has been a fantastic servant to the club when called upon, but he will be looking to find regular minutes elsewhere moving forwards.
Fulham already have stronger options available to them in a similar position, with the likes of Alfie Mawson, Tosin Adarabioyo and Tim Ream being just some of the names ahead of him in the pecking order at this moment in time.
It'll be interesting to see whether Fulham reinvest the funds from this sale into other areas of their squad before the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion.