Fulham are on the verge of completing the loan transfer of Arsenal's Cedric Soares - which could have consequences for Wales star Daniel James at Craven Cottage.
Under Premier League rules, top-flight oufits may not register more than two players on loan from other Premier League clubs at any one time.
The Cottagers currently have James on loan from Leeds United and Shane Duffy on a temporary deal from Brighton.
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It means if Marco Silva wants to bring in Soares from the Gunners - as widely reported he will do this week - either James or Duffy will have to return to their parent clubs.
There is an alternative, however. The west Londoners could buy Soares outright or convert James or Duffy's loan into a permanent deal, thus circumventing the loan rule issue.
That appears unlikely in James' case, who has struggled for minutes since his summer switch from Elland Road. He has yet to complete 90 minutes for Fulham this season and since his return from the World Cup he has featured for a combined 51 minutes in the six games he has been available for. He was an unused sub in two of those matches, most recently in the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham last Monday.
Silva said of James' future earlier this month: “Of course James is still adapting in our football club with a different style of play and all the things.
“Until now we didn’t speak about this possibility [of a recall]. When we signed him on loan it was for him to stay the season with us. Of course now from yesterday the market opened and many things can happen but no news about it.”
That may well still be the case, but something will have to give at Craven Cottage should they complete the signing of Soares.
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