Harrison Reed to consider £8m switch to Fulham following Southampton loan deal

Fulham have an option to sign midfielder Harrison Reed and make him their first signing after earning promotion to the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Reed, who played in the Championship play-off final victory over Brentford, has been on-loan from Southampton, who are already set to lose Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from their midfield.

Scott Parker made Reed, 25, a key member of his squad this season and he played 27 times in central midfield. In the season-long deal with Southampton there was an option to purchase him for a lower fee if they remained in the second-tier or £8 million with promotion.

Making his loan into a permanent transfer would still require personal terms to be agreed with Fulham as they look to strengthen after returning to the Premier League after just one season in the Championship.

Reed has formed a partnership with Tom Cairney in central midfield within Parker’s system, which he played at Wembley and may want to retain for next season when the club look to improve on their 2018/19 campaign when they were relegated with 26 points after radical changes to their promotion team.

"There will be conversations after it, during the break, about the future and that. I'm fine with that. It allows me to focus on getting the job done," said Reed ahead of the final.

Ronald Koeman gave Reed his breakthrough at Southampton before he went on loan spells in the Championship with Norwich City and Blackburn Rovers, where he has played regularly.

Current Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhüttl will now asses at his options in central midfield as Hojbjerg is poised to join Spurs in a £15m deal after getting to within one year of his contract expiring.

Oriel Romeu and James Ward-Prowse started in central midfield in Southampton's win against Sheffield United on the final day of the season but Hojbjerg’s departure will be a position Hasenhüttl will look to fill.