5 Players Who Could Help Revitalise Fulham

Fulham are in a sorry state of affairs at this moment in time as they are currently languishing in the relegation zone, just three points above the bottom two clubs Crystal Palace and Sunderland. A loss against West Ham at the weekend would result in the Cottagers dropping to the foot of the table providing Crystal Palace win 5-0 and Sunderland win 7-0 (stranger things have happened). Fulham may be without a win in four games but they have a good chance to end that abysmal streak against West Ham today. However, they do face the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Everton in their next five games which has the potential to land them in real trouble. If Martin Jol isn't already sacked, then he probably will be by the end of the City game. Here's a list of five players that can lift Fulham out of the relegation zone and into safety:

1. Cheikhou Kouyate

If you've read my previous articles then you will have seen this player featured many times but there is obviously a reason for that; he's a great player who is relatively unknown in European football. This will reduce the amount of interest in him and make it easier for Fulham to buy him if they choose to. He's a unique player because he's a big centre-back with plenty of pace to burn, which isn't a common combination of strengths in a centre-half. He would complement Brede Hangeland very well but could also fill in at centre midfield if Scott Parker isn't available because he's so versatile. At 23 years of age and without an injury since 2009, Kouyate is in great form and could be available for under £10 million.

2. Michael Essien

The Chelsea midfielder is out of the picture at Stamford Bridge and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, which is a shame because he's still very talented. He's a better option at the heart of the midfield than Steve Sidwell and Derek Boateng because, although both have experience, they don't quite have the experience that Essien has and perhaps not the talent either. The experience of Essien and Parker flanking the youth and quality of Pajtim Kasami would be an exciting prospect for Fulham fans.

3. Demba Ba

Ba is another Chelsea player who is very much of favour at the club which has prompted a whole host of teams to watch his situation. It's likely that any move will only be a loan but with a player that has a lot to prove it could be a recipe for success. He has shown he can score goals in the Premier League, scoring 14 goals in the Premier League before his move to Chelsea in January of this year and 16 the season before that. If Fulham want a striker that is determined to reach the top of his game again then Ba would be a fantastic addition and would probably be a better option than Darren Bent.

4. Thomas Eisfeld

It would be wise for Fulham to check out who may be on the loan list in January because then they won't pay much in order to get a player that could improve them. Eisfeld is a creative young German who arrived in England with much promise, but his hype has faded since his first few games with the Arsenal U21 side. The Gunners will admit that they need to send this player on loan if they want to see him progress and a Premier League side would be perfect for him. Eisfeld is a goal-scoring midfielder more than anything who could be utilised by the London-based club, especially if they're not getting the goals at the moment. He is definitely an option to consider.

5. Valentin Stocker

The Basel star could extend the amount of options and tactics that Fulham can use as Stocker could provide the wide option when they want to kill teams off or look for an explosive start. They have the quality in midfield to pick him out and, once he's in behind the defence, he's very hard to stop; he's proved this on numerous occasions in his current league with four goals and five assists in 11 appearances, which is very good going.