Ryan Sessegnon faces starting the season in the Championship, with Fulham's teenage star still stuck in limbo.
Sessegnon, 19, is wanted by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino in a £25million deal.
The England Under-21 international is not fit to kick off the Cottagers’ campaign when it gets underway this weekend, having been struggling with a hamstring injury.
And he had wanted to complete his switch back to the Premier League by now.
However, Spurs are taking a deal down to the last minute, with club chiefs determined to sell Danny Rose first.
But his exit is now far from certain.
England international Rose has been linked with moves abroad - notably to Paris Saint Germain and Atletico Madrid - but will only leave White Hart Lane if a deal is right for him.
Having been left out of Spurs’ squad early in pre-season, Rose was back in action for the Audi Cup in Munich last week.
Now, a situation is fast developing where he could stay put - and scupper Sessegnon’s move.
Fulham boss Scott Parker, whose team begin the 2019-20 season at Barnsley on Saturday, said: “At this present moment, I expect Ryan still to be here when the window shuts.
“Obviously I have read the speculation. Will it affect him? That would be up to Ryan.
"It is not as if the phone has been ringing off the hook, a bid every other day for him and Fulham are turning it down, for him to have the hump.
“I had this too as a young player. But if there is one good thing about the transfer window it is that come 5 o’clock next week when the door shuts, he can’t go anywhere.
“As a player you either get your head down, or it affects you. Ryan is not that boy anyway.
“I am just looking at getting him as fit as we can and let’s see what he can do. I have spoken to him. The conversations have been mainly around his fitness. I don’t know how long it will be until he is ready.”
