Roy Hodgson has again come out to stress how he wants to keep hold of midfielder Jimmy Bullard, but accepts rivals are better placed financially than Fulham to tempt him away. "Jimmy is trying to get a contract that suits him. He isn't sure we can provide that contract so we must be realistic - there are other clubs that can offer that and pay the transfer fee we think he's worth.

"We are waiting to see what happens as he has his own ambitions. He is sitting down with both his agent and our chief-executive, Alistair Mackintosh, but I don't know if he has had an actual offer.

"I stick to my original statement that I would be happy if the January transfer window came and went without any transfer activity, and certainly no-one at Fulham has told him he can leave."