• Premier League

Jol: Taarabt heading to Fulham

Adel Taarabt is set to undergo a medical at Fulham on Tuesday © PA Photos

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Martin Jol has confirmed that Adel Taarabt is on the verge of joining Fulham on loan from Queens Park Rangers.

The Fulham manager said Taarabt is set to undergo a medical on Tuesday morning ahead of a move across west London to Craven Cottage.

Taarabt, who was brought to London as a teenager when Jol was in charge of Tottenham, was left out of QPR's 18-man squad for their Championship opener against Sheffield Wednesday.

Speaking after Fulham's 1-1 pre-season draw with Real Betis, Jol said: "We have agreed everything with the club. The only thing is the medical. If that is sound and good then he will join us.

"I like his creativity and, of course, sometimes it comes off when he scores a lot of goals and I think he was involved in 40 goals [during the 2010/11 Championship promotion season].

"It is like Dimitar Berbatov - sometimes these fantastic talents will be blamed but I hope to find a way to gel him in together with the boys we've got.

"I think he can do a hell of a job for us because he is a tremendous player on the ball.

"I have known him now for a long time. When I was at Hamburg, I wanted him but thought the money [Tottenham chairman] Daniel Levy asked for was too much. Then I went to Ajax and I thought it was too much for a player that never played.

"Then I was too late after that because he went to QPR, where he did ever so well. Remember the fact he was an over-£10million player 12 months ago, so I think you have to take them when they are bad and hopefully he will show his potential here."

After just 13 minutes, Steve Sidwell neatly glanced home a header at the back post from Bryan Ruiz's corner to put Fulham into the lead against Betis.

Dimitar Berbatov then put the ball in the net after chipping a shot over Betis keeper Stephan Andersen, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

However Betis got the goal their efforts deserved in the 54th minute with Nosa Igiebor bursting into the box past Fernando Amorebieta and lifting the ball over Maarten Stekelenburg.

Fulham then saw another effort chalked off for offside, with Hugo Rodallega putting in Sascha Riether's cross at the back post only for the linesman's flag to go up.

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