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Fulham midfielder
Jimmy Bullard |
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Hull City are reported to have agreed a £5 million fee with West London outfit Fulham for influential midfielder Jimmy Bullard.
Bullard, a fans' favourite at both Craven Cottage and former club Wigan Athletic, was rumoured to be on his way out of Fulham prior to Christmas, as he could not agree a new deal with the club.
The dynamic box-to-box midfielder signed for Fulham for £2.5 million from Wigan Athletic in 2006, and, despite having had to overcome an horrendous cruciate ligament injury, has gone on to establish himself as a lynchpin of the Cottagers' line-up.
Bullard felt that his progress over the previous season, which had seen him receiving an England call-up, warranted an increase in his wages that Fulham were not prepared to sanction.
As a result, other clubs began to take an interest in the player, notably Bolton Wanderers, whose interest was believed to be rebuffed by Fulham last week.
"We're not trying to get rid of Jimmy Bullard," Fulham manger Roy Hodgson said, when discussing the player's situation a week ago. "But Jimmy Bullard is trying to get a contract which suits him. He's not sure we can provide that contract which suits him and as a result we have to be realistic and there might be clubs out there who can offer him that and who can match the transfer fee that we think he's worth."
Bullard was also popular with his Fulham team-mates, with American international Clint Dempsey pleading with the player to stay last week: "Jimmy's a guy who has a lot of energy. He's good in the locker room and has good banter.
"He's the guy that likes to make people laugh, he gets around the pitch well, is a good passer of the ball and it's good having him here.
"It's one of those things - I understand he has to do what's best for him and his family. But he would be a big miss, any of our players would be a big miss
"We're playing well right now, have a good team, a small but effective group and we're trying to make the most of it."
Sadly for Dempsey, and probably for many Fulham fans, it looks as though Bullard may be well on the way to finding a contract that suits him better in Yorkshire.