Craven Cottage side edge ahead of QPR in chase for White Hart Lane veteran.
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Fulham are ahead of QPR and Sunderland in the race to sign Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker this summer, according to the Daily Mail.
The England international has struggled with injuries since his deadline day move to Tottenham in August 2011, and has lost his place in the Spurs line-up under manager Andre Villas-Boas. Parker, 32, is behind Sandro, Lewis Holtby, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Moussa Dembele in the Tottenham pecking order, and is seeking a move away from White Hart Lane in search of more regular first team football.
QPR want Parker to drop down into the Championship under former manager Harry Redknapp, however, Parker is reluctant to do so. With the hopes of securing a World Cup squad place, Parker wishes to remain in the Premier League to give himself the best possible chance of making the team, which was incidentally the reason he left West Ham in the summer of 2011, following their relegation.
Sunderland too remain interested in signing the combative midfielder, who is available for as little as £2million this summer, but are unwilling to match Parker’s £80,000-a-week wages as Paolo Di Canio continues his squad overhaul at the Stadium of Light. Fulham remain favourites to sign Parker, as they are the best placed club of the three. With a history of attracting the older, experienced player too the club, with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov already at the club, it may be Parker’s best chance of first team football in Fulham’s lack-luster midfield core.
With the imminent arrival of Brazilian midfielder Paulinho from Corinthians for £17million, the likes of Scott Parker, Tom Huddlestone and Clint Dempsey could be forced to find new clubs this summer, as competition for minutes in a Tottenham team rebuilding for a Champions League challenge.