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| Steve Sidwell |
Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell is said to be seeking assurances about the future of Fulham manager Roy Hodgson before he commits to a transfer to The Cottagers.
The 27-year-old midfielder has been told he can leave Villa Park this summer by Martin O'Neill, and Villa are rumoured to be holding-out for a fee of around £3 million, with transfer activities dependent on trimming their existing squad.
Fulham are already believed to have made an official approach to sign the player, with former Reading man Sidwell having endured a difficult few years at Chelsea and now Villa, where he has only made 23 starts since moving to the club in 2008.
But Hodgson has been heavily linked with the empty managerial seat at Liverpool, having made a name for himself as an English club manager after pioneering Fulham's successful Europa League campaign that saw them reach the final.
If Hodgson moves to Anfield then The Sun says Sidwell may re-consider his options, and perhaps adopt a 'wait and see' approach regarding who is appointed as Fulham's new boss.
Sidwell established his reputation at Reading after joining in January 2003. He was instrumental as the midfield 'engine' in Reading's 2005-06 team that won the Championship and was included in the PFA's Team of the Year for the second successive year that season.
After making a surprising move to Chelsea in July 2007 Sidwell's chances were limited and he eventually signed for Villa for a fee in the region of £5 million in July 2008.
But after an initially promising start has dropped out of the first team reckoning at Villa Park, given strong competition from the likes of James Milner and Stiliyan Petrov.