Cardiff City loanee Harry Arter has confirmed his departure from the relegated club and said he would move back to Bournemouth in the summer.
With the 29-year-old unlikely to have a future at the South Coast club, Fulham are being linked with a move for the Irish international.
According to a report in The Irish Independent, Arter favours a move to a London-based club closer to his home in the capital.
In addition to fitting his preferred location, his familial ties with Fulham could also play a role in a potential move. Newly announced permanent manager Scott Parker is Arter’s brother-in-law, with the two sharing a close bond that may help make a transfer happen.
The Cottagers will be in the market for another creative midfielder as Jean-Michael Seri is expected to depart in the summer, and the Bournemouth man, thanks to his Championship experience, would be an ideal player to fill the gap.
Arter would slot in alongside Tom Cairney in the Fulham midfield and provide an important asset for the Whites’ promotion push.
He played a massive 43 league matches in Bournemouth’s promotion campaign back in 2014/15, scoring nine goals and providing four assists.
If Fulham feel he could replicate those numbers in the second tier next season, Arter is an ideal signing for the Cottagers.
The Ireland international has a contract with the Cherries until 2021, but the Londoners should be able to finance a deal if, as expected, they raise funds by selling the likes of Seri and Aleksandar Mitrovic.