Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen has confirmed the club had a bid for England Under-21 ace Ravel Morrison turned down by West Ham United.
The Cottagers (6-1-14), currently in 16th-place in the English Premier League table, are just one point clear of the relegation zone with 17 league fixtures remaining.
Meulensteen is looking for January reinforcements as Fulham prepare for one of the tightest relegation battles in recent memory, with only six points separating bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace (5-2-14) from 10th-place Hull City (6-5-10).
Reports have suggested the club offered West Ham £4 million for Morrison, whose current £15,000-per-week deal at Upton Park expires in the summer of 2015, but the Hammers are holding out for a fee in the region of £10 million.
“We got knocked back,” Meulensteen told the Daily Mail after Fulham’s impressive 3-0 FA Cup triumph over Norwich City on Tuesday.
“We need to review it and move on. I left it with [chief executive] Alistair Mackintosh. I’ve explained what I think about the situation so we’ll have to see what happens.
“I make my desires clear then leave it to those people to deal with it. We will review it because I don’t know exactly the ins and outs of how it’s been rejected.
“[Morrison offers] youthfulness, energy, unpredictability, strength. Loads of things.”
Morrison — priced at 11/1 to open the scoring against Newcastle United on Saturday — has tallied five goals and two assists in 19 appearances, including 15 starts, in all competitions for West Ham this season.
In other news, Fulham have recently been linked with loan moves for Chelsea striker Demba Ba and Manchester United winger Nani.
Raoul Loe attracting EPL interest
CA Osasuna defensive midfielder Raoul Loé is expected to be scouted by several Premier League clubs when Osasuna play host to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday evening, according to agent Willie McKay.
Loé, whose strengths include winning aerial duels and intercepting passes, has impressed despite making just nine competitive appearances for Los Rojillos this term.
The Cameroon international, 24, has been likened to France legend Patrick Vieira, a comparison that has also been made for Juventus’ Paul Pogba and Manchester City’s Abdisalam Ibrahim.
Osasuna have given McKay the exclusive mandate to find Loé a potential suitor in England.
“I have been given the exclusive mandate from Osasuna to work on a deal for Raoul Loe in the UK,” McKay told Sky Sports.
“Loe has been in top form this season and a number of clubs from the Premier League have been over to watch him in action and I know a lot of teams are expected to watch him against Real Madrid on Wednesday.
“He would be perfectly suited to play in England as he is a big, strong athletic midfielder and would be a success in the Premier League.”
Loé is valued at around €5 million.
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