Silva wants Fulham players’ futures resolved

Fulham boss Marco Silva says the club need to learn the lessons from losing Fabio Carvalho to Liverpool and not let players run down the final years of their contracts.

The Whites were unable to convince Carvalho to stay last  year, despite the offer of regular Premier League football after he played an integral part in their promotion-winning season.

Tosin Adarabioyo, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream are all out of contract at the end of next season along with a number of the club’s young players.

Carvalho joined Liverpool for £5m last January – a fraction of what the club valued the 19 year-old playmaker at.

Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Celtic’s Matt O’Riley are among the other youngsters Fulham have lost.

Midfielder Luke Harris, 18, has since been signed on a long-term deal, though.

“We don’t like it when important players for us go into the last year of their contracts,” Silva said.

“We have some examples in this football club that we don’t want to repeat, like Fab Carvalho from last season.

“It is our obligation to do some things differently because we have to retain talent inside this football club.

“Sometimes it can be difficult with young players from the academy who show the quality to grow and it can be hard to keep them.

“Fabio was in the last year of his contract and we tried everything to keep him at the club. But at the beginning of the season it was clear that Luke Harris is a talent who is going to play a long time in our shirt.

“He is on a different contract now but we have to be aware of this situation not just with the young lads but also the senior players.”

Sylvester Jasper, who was on QPR’s books before joining Fulham, is one of several youngsters whose contract expires in this summer.