Fulham is looking for defensive reinforcement in the closing days of the transfer market. The Cottagers conceded ten goals in the first three games of the Premier League and are concerned about defensive stability, writes The Telegraph Friday morning. One of the players in the picture to fill the rear is Timo Baumgartl from PSV.

The first three league matches were all lost: Arsenal (0-3), Leeds United (4-3) and Aston Villa (0-3) were all too strong for Fulham. On Thursday evening, the Londoners were also eliminated by Brentford (3-0) in the EFL Cup. Manager Scott Parker specifically looks for defenders with a ‘ruthless mindset’ and Baumgartl is one of the options that would fit that profile.

The 24-year-old German appears to be the most serious candidate to join Fulham’s rearguard at the moment. The club also took an interest in Torino’s Gleison Bremer, but it is increasingly considered unlikely that his arrival can be realized before the close of the transfer market on Monday. Fulham lost Terence Kongolo after last season as the mercenary returned to his actual employer Huddersfield Town, although a new lease deal is not yet ruled out.

PSV paid an amount of eight to ten million euros for Baumgartl in the summer of 2019. However, there is no question of a happy marriage. The German who came over from VfB Stuttgart could count on a basic place in the first weeks after his arrival, but gradually came into action less and less last season. In total he played thirteen league matches in the Netherlands; in the current year Baumgartl stayed on the bench in all official games.