Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic insists Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon will be at the club next season as he plot a promotion push for the West Londoners.
Cairney’s future has been the subject of intense speculation since Fulham fell short in the Championship Play-Off Semi-Finals, with newly-promoted Newcastle among the leading contenders for his signature.
But after falling short of promotion last season Fulham are keen to keep the core of their team together and their manager reaffirmed that Cairney would not be sold off despite Newcastle having made such a sizeable offer in January.
Jokanovic told Serbian publication Engleski Fudbal: “He (Benitez) asked for him and they offered £20m, but we did not let him go.
“He is not for Newcastle, there is no business there, he fits in at Fulham.
“When the team has problems the ball always goes to him and he keeps it.”
The 26-year-old midfielder is one of the Championship’s top performers and was named EFL Player of the Year at the 2017 London Football Awards.
Jokanovic was similarly optimistic over the future of Sessegnon, the 17-year-old left-back being chased by the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool.
The Serbian manager said that his confidence stemmed from Sessegnon’s awareness that at Fulham he could assured of playing “32-33” games next season and that if the youngster went to “Liverpool, Tottenham, blah blah… they would go on loan”.
