Fulham’s Lasse Vigen Christensen has been linked with a move to Aston Villa (Picture: Getty Images)

Having watched Fulham several times this season, as part of my day job, I’ve been impressed with the clutch of youngsters they’ve been fielding.

A couple of weeks ago, they won 1-0 at Leeds with a midfield three whose average age was a tender 19. The most senior of that trio, 20-year-old Lasse Vigen Christensen, set up the winning goal for relative old-timer Hugo Rodallega.

Last month, I’d seen Christensen play a starring role in a 3-1 win over Huddersfield. Having caught my eye in earlier matches, that performance fully converted me to the belief he’d be a Premier League player within a year or two.



It may come a lot quicker than that if the Daily Mirror are to be believed. They, praise be, have linked Christensen with a move to Aston Villa, claiming boss Paul Lambert has marked him out as a replacement for Fabian Delph.


Well, I can see a bit of Delph in him. He provides a bit of dynamism from the middle of the park, something we are lacking, and has an eye for goal – in 18 Championship games, he has netted five times, outscoring team-mate Bryan Ruiz.

His five assists include Rodallega’s goal at Elland Road, when he chested down a throw and turned a defender in one movement, before cutting the ball back into the striker’s path.

The Dane also breaks up play nicely, with some timely tackles and interceptions, but his most telling asset is the speed in which he turns defence into attack.

Christensen is a Denmark under-21 international, and has played alongside Aston Villa’s Jores Okore (Picture: Reuters)

Christensen has been at Craven Cottage since January 2012, joining from FC Midtjylland, but only broke into the first team this season. In that short time, however, he has quickly become a key cog in the Fulham midfield.

His impact can be measured in fans’ reaction to the Villa rumour (along the lines of ‘keep your mitts off’) and the fact his absence through injury was blamed for Fulham’s home defeat to Brighton on Monday.

https://twitter.com/fulhamwhites/status/549689215987253249

But let’s not get too carried away. Christensen is far from the finished article, although that hasn’t stopped Villa before (Jordan Bowery springs to mind).

But he is under contract until the summer of 2017, after signing an extension to his deal in January, and Randy Lerner may baulk at the suggested price tag of £5 million.

Fulham are also under no pressure to sell – unlike Rangers who, in trying to find urgent funds, are about to let rumoured Villa target Lewis MacLeod join Brentford for £1 million.

Selling a prized asset like Christensen would surely send out the wrong signals to the Whites’ faithful – unless the midfielder himself made it quite clear he’d outgrown Craven Cottage and wanted to try his luck in the top flight.

Delph has hinted he is wanting to move on to bigger and better things – and if Christensen is tempted, I’d welcome him at Villa Park.

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