Fulham manager Marco Silva should give new signing Alex Iwobi the nod ahead of Andreas Pereira against Crystal Palace this weekend.
The Nigerian international arrived at Craven Cottage on deadline day for £22m from Everton.
It was a move that had been touted for some time but Fulham finally got it over the line in the final hours of the window.
Alex Iwobi actually started for Everton against Fulham on the opening day of the season.
He’ll be glad that he’s now on the other end of that 1-0 result at Goodison Park where Bobby De Cordova-Reid scored the winner.
The 27-year-old provides competition and cover in a variety of roles which will really appeal to Marco Silva.
He started life as a winger but at Everton, he played his best football in a central role.
There’s an argument now that Iwobi should be starting ahead of Andreas Pereira for Fulham on Saturday.
The Brazilian was a fantastic signing last summer, linking up brilliantly with Aleksandar Mitrovic, providing six assists and scoring four goals.
However, he suffered a serious injury at the end of last season and despite getting fit over the summer, doesn’t quite look back to his best yet.
Iwobi should start over Pereira for Fulham this weekend
Alex Iwobi can play on both wings but he also appears to be the most natural alternative to Pereira in the Fulham squad.
Pereira scored his only goal of the season against Iwobi’s old club Arsenal, catching Aaron Ramsdale out in the opening minute.
However, according to SofaScore, he’s managed to create just one big chance for his teammates this season.
He’s averaging just over 10 completed passes in the opposition half per match and is struggling to make an impact in the final third.
Iwobi might be able to offer something for Fulham that Pereira can’t at the moment.
It’s hard to judge Iwobi based on his stats this season given that he picked up a knock against Aston Villa and has been playing in an awful Everton side.
Their strikers are even less effective than Fulham’s current options but at least Carlos Vinicius has finally found the back of the net.