Coleman wants Steed signature

Chris Coleman is desperate to try and sign up Steed Malbranque on a longer deal as he tries to hold his team together and build Fulham into a top 10 Premiership force.

Malbranque is stalling on a new contract with Fulham, and the Whites star has only a year to run on his present deal.

But Coleman is adamant that he wants his 26-year-old midfield star to stay at Fulham as part of the present crop of stars including Luis Boa Morte, so he can build on the team in the summer.

He wants drastic improvement after a slightly disappointing campaign as Fulham look to be finishing in the bottom half of the able and are without an away win all season.

Coleman recently signed up Papa Bouba Diop and captain Luis Boa Morte on new longer term deals to avoid an exodus of his stars in the summer, as he bids to make Fulham a top 10 club capable of challenging for Europe.

Malbranque has been outstanding this season and now with Diop back in the side, he has been given more freedom to express his attacking talent, scoring the winner against Wigan on Monday with a wonderful strike.

'Steed's people are coming in to talk to us,' Coleman declared. 'We're desperate to keep him.

'He's got a year left and we're desperate to get him on a longer contract.

Coleman is set on building on the clubs good form and attack minded on pitch mentality to reach even greater heights.

He has also been handed transfer funds by chairman, Mohammad Al-Fayed for the summer and wants to take full advantage of what he has at his disposal, whilst also being very eager to keep the present squad together.

'I think we can do things at Fulham, especially with the transfer funds being made available.

'If we can hang on to our best players and keep adding, we can become a top-10 club,' he said.

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