Fulham boss Martin Jol has revealed goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has been offered a contract extension by the club, ESPN FC understands.
Schwarzer, 40, has previously declared he may search for pastures new if he is no longer considered the No. 1 shot-stopper for the Whites.
The 40-year-old believes he needs first-team football in order to go to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil with Australia, and rightfully so.
All things considered, Jol remains optimistic that the Australia international will follow in the footsteps of Fulham duo Brede Hangeland and Damien Duff, who have recently signed extensions at Craven Cottage.
The former AFC Ajax manager also played down speculation suggesting the Cottagers are lining up a summer move for FC Twente goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov.
However, Jol admitted he is currently searching for reinforcements between the sticks, casting a shadow of doubt on whether Schwarzer will accept a contract extension at Fulham.
“We are talking to Mark Schwarzer like we did with Brede and the other players,” said Jol. “He is a fantastic goalkeeper so you would have to be very good to fill that space.
“We have made him an offer so we are waiting. If he accepts he will stay, if not we will talk again like we did with Brede. We are not talking with Mihaylov. Last year we made an approach, but not this year.
“I don’t deny that we are looking for a goalkeeper. There is a lot of speculation in the press. I have a young goalkeeper in Neil Etheridge, he is out on loan and so is David Stockdale.
“He doesn’t want to be number two so that could be a little problem, so of course we are always looking for a goalkeeper.”
Schwarzer has started 28 of the Cottagers’ 30 English Premier League matches this season, with No. 2 David Stockdale — who is currently on loan at English Championship side Hull City — getting the nod on two occasions.
Toulalan happy at Malaga
Malaga CF midfielder Jeremy Toulalan has expressed his desire to stay at the Andalusian club for the foreseeable future, according to Sky Sports.
Toulalan, 29, is reportedly attracting interest from a numbers of clubs outside of Spain, fueling speculation that the 29-year-old could become the latest casualty of Los Boquerones well-documented financial woes.
The Frenchman would like to stay at the club if at all possible, citing UEFA Champions League football, a good relationship with manager Manuel Pellegrini and quality of life as the main incentives to stay in Andalusia.
On the other hand, Toulalan is willing to accept that football is a business, meaning that he could potentially be sold in the summer.
Now then, will Toulalan leave the Estadio La Rosaleda in the summer? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for more information on the Frenchman’s situation.
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