Fulham could face a battle to keep key player Tom Cairney with the midfielder keen on joining West Ham United.

The Premier League outfit are ready to pay around £15m for the Scotland international and Sky Sports are reporting that Cairney wants to make the move to the London Stadium.

However, the same report states that Fulham have no desire to sell such an important player at this stage of the season.

The Cottagers are the form team in the Championship over the past ten games and a victory at Barnsley today would move them into the top six.

Whilst Cairney has suffered with injuries this season and therefore hasn’t been as influential as he was last year, Slavisa Jokanovic knows how good he can be for his team.

West Brom are another side who have expressed an interest in the player, and Fulham had to fight very hard to prevent Cairney from joining Newcastle United in the summer.

Following that transfer tussle, the 27-year old signed a new contract with the Championship side that tied him down to Fulham until 2021.

The Verdict

If we’re honest, Fulham probably expected this to happen at some point given how good Cairney has been at this level over the years, however it’s crucial that they don’t sell.

The Whites have a genuine chance of promotion and Cairney will be integral to that in the run-in. Those at the club need to do all they can to convince the player not to push for a move and maybe agree to reassess in the summer if they don’t go up.

Given that he signed a new contract earlier in the season, Fulham have a strong hand but they will want to ensure Cairney remains focused on the task ahead.

Thoughts, Fulham fans? Let us know in the comments below.