Fulham are confident keeping hold of in-form striker Pavel Pogrebnyak.

The People says the big Russian striker was due to sign a permanent contract with Fulham on January deadline day but had to agree a loan deal from Vfb Stuttgart instead, due to an administrative problem.

Pogrebnyak, 28, has scored twice in his first two matches for the Cottagers, sparking concerns that bigger clubs could nip in for the player.

But Fulham, who had been tracking the player for years, have an agreement in principle to sign him on a permanent deal this summer and believe he will remain true to his word.