Alexei Smertin is hoping he can soon finalise his move to
Fulham.
The Russian midfielder has been locked in talks with The Cottagers
for a number of weeks after his club Dinamo Moscow told him he
could leave.
West Ham and Charlton also made moves, but Smertin confirmed that
Fulham were his preferred destination.
With Papa Bouba Diop looking likely to move to Wigan this week,
Smertin's signing would look more like a priority for manager Chris
Coleman.
"It wasn't my decision to leave Dinamo. My club informed me that
they aren't interested in me anymore," Smertin revealed.
"My agent started to work and we got offers from Charlton Athletic,
West Ham and Fulham.
"At the moment only Fulham's interest is continuing."
Smertin insists that finances are not a motive in any move.
"Money isn't the reason," he said. "Everyone knows that only the
best European clubs can pay more than the best Russian teams like
Dinamo or Zenit.
"Fulham's offer is suitable for Dinamo and for me."
Smertin's agent Paulo Barbosa confirmed that they hoped talks would
soon be finalised for the move to Fulham.
"We had hard negotiations with Dinamo. Firstly we got interest from
Charlton, West Ham and Fulham. Now we are negotiating only with
Fulham," Barbosa told Soviet Sports.
"Fulham's offer is interesting for Alexei. This is a London club
from the middle of the table.
"Starting from our negotiations with Dinamo this is the best
variant, although there is a small possibility still that Smertin
will stay in Dinamo.
"Alexei's future will be known in two to three weeks."