Kostas Mitroglou has told friends he hopes Fulham let him go for a knockdown fee - while his loan club are ready to fan the flames of the Greek striker’s discontent.

Mitroglou was the misfit signing of the January 2014 transfer window - but a hugely expensive one at a reported £12 million to go with a four-and-a-half year deal.

He sat through an initial injury spell, and ended up with a solitary three appearances in white, none of which yielded a win as the club plummeted out of the Premier League. Even so, he was selected for Greece's World Cup squad last summer.

Fulham want to recover as much of their outlay as possible, but Olympakios, from where he came and returned on loan, are hoping to tug at west London heartstrings and get him back on the cheap.

Pier Isa, Olympiakos technical director said: “Mitroglou's home is here at Olympiakos. He has scored some important goals this season for us. We always stood by him when he had problems in England. He's part of our family.”

The Greek giants are understood to be paying all his year's salary at close to £2.5 million - but will be hard pressed to add a hefty fee while continuing to honour his contract next season.

Olympiakos manager Vitor Pereira wants him which is no great surprise: Mitroglou has hit the back of the net 16 times for loan club and country in 31 appearances.

Whites boss Kit Symons was cagey about chances of the player’s return, and admitted he has yet to speak to Mitroglou this term.

“Some of my staff have been in touch with him; text messages and that,” said the gaffer. “We know he’s been scoring goals at Olympiakos and fitted in well.

“But as for his return, I’ve not thought that far ahead, and those will be discussions needed to be had come the end of the season, and we’ll work out the best way of dealing with it.”

Mitroglou has been in the wars again this week when forced to withdraw from the Greece squad to play Hungary in the Euro 2016 qualifiers on Sunday through injury.