‘He won’t be at Fulham for long’ – Pundit wowed by star who is keeping £34m player on the bench
Chris Sutton was quick to praise a Fulham star for his recent performances but he warned that he won’t be at Craven Cottage for long.
The Whites have made a bright start to the season with their performances, but poor refereeing decisions have become the bane of Marco Silva‘s life.
Josh King’s first professional goal was ruled out after Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to have fouled Trevoh Chalobah in a 2-0 loss to Chelsea whilst the scores were still level.
Fulham also had what appeared to be a stonewall penalty against Aston Villa ignored by referee Andy Madley.
But whilst the 2025-26 campaign has been a frustrating one for the West Londoners, the emergence of an incredibly talented player has been a silver lining.
Chris Sutton heaps praise on Josh King
Whilst King is still without his first professional goal, the 18-year-old has been one of the Cottagers’ best players this season, starting every single Premier League game.
Despite Emile Smith Rowe costing Fulham £34million [BBC Sport], a club-record outlay at the time, the former Arsenal man is struggling to get a look in as a consequence of the youngster’s assured performances.
King received recognition by being called up to the England Under-21s this week, and Premier League champion Chris Sutton gave his thoughts on the attacking midfielder.
“Josh King, what a player he is,” Sutton said on BBC’s Football Focus (12.23pm)
“I’ve seen a bit of him this season and I don’t think he’s going to be at Fulham long.”
The former striker is not the only player to be impressed with the 18-year-old recently, as Jamie Redknapp called King “the best player on the pitch” against Villa.
Where would be the best landing spot for King if he leaves?
Should King leave Fulham, the young midfielder will likely have most of Europe doing all they can to recruit him.
Chelsea have made signing high-upside young talents their priority in recent seasons, although a crosstown move would not go down well with the Whites’ support and the Blues have Cole Palmer as their first choice at number 10.
Liverpool have made a habit of recruiting Fulham’s best youngsters, signing Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott, although both players have since departed Anfield after struggling to break into the starting XI.
Instead, King may be inclined to make a move to Man City, should the dethroned Premier League champions come calling.
The Cottagers’ academy graduates’ style of play is reminiscent of some of Pep Guardiola‘s most adored players, like Thiago Alcantara and David Silva, and he would be afforded the licence to move around the pitch, finding pockets of space in which to make things happen, something that neither Liverpool or Chelsea would be able to offer.