Fulham are hoping to offload the last of their expensive misfits by striking a deal with Southampton for Maarten Stekelenburg.

The 33-year-old keeper has come to the end of his loan spell with the Premier League side, but is an expensive square peg in a round hole at Craven Cottage.

Whites and Saints are understood to be looking at two options.

One is a cut-down price tag around £750k, the approximate same as his loan fee to St Mary's; the other a second loan that sees out the Dutchman's contract with Fulham to summer 2017.

The fly in any ointment may be the former World Cup keeper's wages, thought to be around £25,000 a week.

Southampton want Stekelenburg as back-up to first choice Fraser Forster with veteran Kelvin Davies unlikely to be offered a new deal.

The Premier League side want a cheaper option for their number two that heralds haggling with player, his agent, and Saints.

If the two can't reach agreement, Fulham are saddled with finding a third loan, assuming Saints don't want that either.

Stekelenburg was previously at Monaco after he made it plain he wasn't going to play in the Championship following Fulham's relegation from the top flight in 2014.

He cost Whites around £3 million when signed from Roma in summer 2013, but made only 21 appearances through injury while losing his place to David Stockdale.

Fulham sold a second costly mistake, Kostas Mitroglou to Benfica this week.

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