Fulham are reportedly in talks to sign Brighton & Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay.

What's the news?

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, the Cottagers have spoken to Brighton about a permanent £15m deal for the Frenchman.

The report adds that fellow Premier League side Everton have been in contact with the player after a proposed move to Nottingham Forest stalled.

After starting his career in France, the 26-year-old moved to England when he joined Brentford in the summer of 2017.

During his time with the Bees, Maupay found the net 41 times in 95 appearances and provided 14 assists along the way before joining Brighton in 2019.

Since then, the Frenchman has scored 27 goals in 109 appearances for the Seagulls across all competitions.

Silva's next "maverick"

Last season saw the striker score eight goals in 32 league appearances for Graham Potter's side and end the campaign with the second-highest number of shots (59) in the Brighton squad.

Hailed as a "unique" player by the Brighton manager, Maupay has 91 goals to his name throughout his career, highlighting his clear attacking prowess and what he would be able to offer Marco Silva's team.

With the centre-forward yet to make an appearance for the Seagulls in the league this season, a potential move to a club where he'd have a better chance of playing regularly could be an ideal scenario for all parties.

Bearing in mind how Fulham already have Aleksandar Mitrovic in their squad, one of seven men to have played every minute of league action so far this season for the west London club, it would be interesting to see how the Brighton attacker would fit in at Craven Cottage should he end up moving there this summer.

Having also been described by Trevor Sinclair as a "maverick" on the pitch in terms of his attitude and the way that he plays the game, Maupay certainly seems to have what it takes to be a valuable asset for Silva and Fulham by adding some strength and depth to that area of the squad.

With Everton also reportedly after the player, if Silva wants to add a striker with top-flight experience who can be a maverick on the pitch and fight for the team, then Fulham should do all that they can to get the French predator to Craven Cottage.