Wednesday Fulham Stuff (30/05/18)...

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Soccer: Fulham promotion is World Cup boost, says Serbia's Mitrovic

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Winning promotion to the Premier League with Fulham is a major personal confidence boost for the World Cup, Serbia striker Aleksandar Mitrovic said on Monday as the Balkan nation started their build-up for next month's tournament in Russia.

Fulham reached the top flight with a 1-0 playoff win over Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday and Mitrovic acknowledged his January move to Craven Cottage on loan from Newcastle United had given him a lift.

"It was a great way to end the season and it has really done a world of good for my confidence and motivation ahead of the World Cup," the robust 23-year old hitman told reporters.

"I thrived from playing at Fulham under coach and compatriot Slavisa Jokanovic and I am hopeful of carrying my club form into the forthcoming games for Serbia.

"I played the best football of my life in the past few months after a frustrating first half of the season at Newcastle and I am hungry like a wolf for more goals."

Mitrovic, Serbia's top scorer in World Cup qualifying with six goals, netted 12 for Fulham and was one of the team's key players in returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2014.

He stressed Serbia would be under a lot of pressure from their fans and pundits to make an impact in the 32-nation tournament in Russia despite being drawn in a tough Group E alongside Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica.

"We are familiar with that kind of pressure because our fans or so passionate and success-hungry," he said.

"On one hand, merely qualifying for the World Cup after an eight-year absence from major tournaments is a success in its own right but on the other, it would be a pity for a team of this quality to suffer an early exit.

"The opening game against Costa Rica will be key because a win would trace the path to the knockout rounds so the upcoming warm-up games against Chile and Bolivia will be a good test of our credentials.

"We have to put all the pieces of the puzzle into place during those two games and work hard to improve in departments which need polishing."

After the first build-up phase in their Stara Pazova camp near Belgrade, the Serbians will go to Austria for the second stage including friendlies in Graz against Chile on June 4 and Bolivia five days later.

Asked what he thought about the official World Cup ball, Mitrovic said he liked it but was not sure goalkeepers would share his opinion.

"It's slick and I needed no time to adjust to it because it's not that different from the other balls," he said.

"But you must ask the goalkeepers too what they think because I am a striker and my objective is to put it past them into the back of the net."



https://in.reuters.com/article/soccer-worldcup-srb-mitrovic/soccer-fulham-promotion-is-world-cup-boost-says-serbias-mitrovic-idINKCN1IU093?rpc=401&;

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Fulham owner accuses Cardiff City of 'playing 19th century football' after promotion

Shahid Khan was speaking after Fulham beat Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final

Fulham owner Shahid Khan had a dig at Cardiff City following his side's play-off final victory over Aston Villa, slamming the Bluebirds for playing "19th century football".

The Cottagers beat Villa 1-0 in the Championship showpiece , meaning they will join Cardiff and Wolves in next season's Premier League.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side were praised throughout the past year or so for their expansive style, with Tom Cairney scoring a typically fluent goal to win the Wembley final.

And controversial owner Khan couldn't resist making a derisory comment about the Bluebirds' own style of football — despite the fact Cardiff finished in the automatic promotion spots ahead of Fulham.


Fulham's Tom Cairney celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the Championship play-off final

"We have seen the teams that have got promoted," he said in an interview with the Times.

"Wolves were the best team in the Championship. Cardiff, they play 19th-century football and will have to make changes if they want to stay up.

"We are looking not to mess with the style and chemistry of our team."

Khan also insisted Fulham wouldn't by shy to spend, which isn't a policy Neil Warnock wants to replicate in South Wales.

The Yorkshireman has said he wouldn't splash out "silly money" whereas Khan — who has ambitious plans to buy Wembley from the FA — is thinking differently at Craven Cottage.

"We are not just going to scrape by, we want to get better," he added.

"This is the time to have the productive discussion about who is available.

"There is this concept of splashing cash. You have to invest but just lighting money on fire doesn't win Championships. Being irresponsible doesn't help you win. We're going to do whatever helps us win and if it involves money then we're not spendthrifts."

He is also adamant that teenage wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon will stay at Fulham despite major interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur.

"We don't want Sessegnon leaving," Khan said.

"I don't think he wants to go. He's going to be at Fulham for the coming year, leading us into the Premier League. Frankly, if we had not been promoted, well, we have a responsibility to our players. He's been there since he was eight. We want to do the right thing for him and he is Fulham through and through.

"He is going to be there next season."



https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-owner-accuses-cardiff-city-14717905

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Play-Off Final: Slavisa Jokanovic delighted with Fulham's "deserved promotion"

After guiding his side to play-off success, Slavisa Jokanovic has said that Fulham deserve their return to the Premier League following a four-year spell in the Sky Bet Championship.

Tom Cairney's first-half goal proved the difference between the two sides, although a red card shown to Denis Odoi 20 minutes from time made for an uncomfortable finish to the game.

Aston Villa came out fighting in the second half and went close on a number of occasions, but Jokanovic's men were able to hold out and join Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City in going up.

"It's not easy to come to Wembley and try to follow the style we have played for the past three years," the Serbian manager explained.

"We played with our style and beat one of the best teams in the Championship, showing we can be solid and organised to fight for a clean sheet too.

"It's a really important victory for us and, after last year, we deserve this. We fought relegation [in Fulham's first year in the Championship], then we were unlucky to miss out on this opportunity last year.

"Fulham is my club with my staff, and this is our project. The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world and you must be clever, and we will show ambition to stay in that division."

The impact that astute business during the January transfer window had on Fulham's season cannot be understated, with three men in particular playing crucial roles in their charge to promotion.

The eleventh-hour arrivals of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Cyrus Christie, as well as Matt Targett who joined a week earlier, enabled Jokanovic to fully implement his gameplan centred around attractive, possession-based football.

But another key cog has been there since the Serb joined the Cottagers. Captain Cairney played a leading role in Saturday's final, as he has done for some time in the heart of Fulham's midfield.

"We had to wait until January to bring some really important players in and they've all made a big impact in the second half of the season," he said.

"[Mitrovic] has made an important impact, but so has Targett – he's given us the opportunity to play Ryan Sessegnon further forward and he went on to be our top goalscorer.

"Tom [Cairney] has been fantastic – he will remember what happened last season and he was crucial, showing the quality and personality to be a midfielder in the Premier League.

"We've not started preparing for the new season of course – we're not thinking about football for a few days – but we know we must try and dominate against some teams. We believe we can play this way in the Premier League.



https://www.efl.com/news/2018/may/play-off-final-slavisa-jokanovic-delighted-with-fulhams-deserved-promotion/

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Newcastle's Mitrovic better equipped for Premier League success after Championship promotion

Newcastle United loanee Aleksandar Mitrovic is better equipped to succeed in the Premier League this time around, after winning the play-offs with Fulham.

Newcastle United loanee Aleksandar Mitrovic will return to playing Premier League football next term after an underwhelming two top-flight seasons with the Magpies and he will have a point to prove to his parent club, but is he any better equipped for the step up now?

Mitrovic featured for current club Fulham in their 1-0 play-off final triumph over Aston Villa at Wembley in this season's final Championship clash.

The Serbian international joined Slavisa Jokanovic's side on January's transfer deadline day, after Newcastle deemed the striker surplus to requirements at St James' Park for the season, with him making six appearances and scoring just a single goal on Tyneside.

The 23-year-old quickly found his feet again though, reminding football fans what the previous fuss was all about, and he proved to be pivotal in the Cottagers' push for promotion, netting an impressive 12 goals in 20 games, in a season he called "the best four months of my career" (Sky Sports), and Fulham are now allegedly keen to retain his services for next term.

The former Anderlecht man seems as though he is far better equipped to have a successful stint in England's top flight after regaining his confidence and eye for goal in the Championship, while also curbing his disciplinary issues, having been straight red-carded twice in 34 appearances in 2015/16.

Mitrovic has simplified his game and gone back to doing what he was best at at Craven Cottage, acting as a physical linchpin to connect attacks in the final third while causing problems for defenders with his movement and physical prowess, minus the previous discrepancies.

He seems to be thriving off being the main man in the attacking third and his confidence is sky-high once again.

Whether or not the striker will be plying his trade at Newcastle or Fulham is uncertain come kick-off next season, but one thing is for sure: the striker returning to the Premier League is a seriously improved player from the one that left four months ago.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/05/29/jw-newcastle-uniteds-aleksandar-mitrovic-better-equipped-for-pre/

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Fulham set to make concrete offer for young midfield star Lamine Fomba who previously turned down Tottenham

Fulham must strengthen after securing promotion to the Premier League and are reportedly targeting a player who turned down Tottenham Hotspur.

Fulham join London rivals Tottenham back in the big time after securing a deserved promotion with their 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the Championship playoff final.

Cottagers boss Slavisa Jokanovic has built a young and attractive attacking team at Fulham but he knows he must bolster his squad to cope with the demands of the Premier League.

While much of Jokanovic's energy seems likely to be spent fending off interest from Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino in Fulham's star player Ryan Sessegnon, he could get one over on Tottenham with a signing of his own.

Reports in France claim Fulham are in the driving seat to land 20-year-old French midfielder Lamine Fomba, who turned down Tottenham two years ago, according to L'Equipe.

L'Equipe claim Fomba turned Spurs down to sign a professional deal with Auxerre in 2016.

But he has made just two senior appearances since and is into the last year of his contract.

That has alerted Fulham, who have a history of snapping up young talent from France on the cheap.

Fomba is a former France Under 18 international and would be something of a coup for Jokanovic if he can adapt to the English game.

The report claims 'Fulham have watched the player multiple times and appear poised to make a concrete move'.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/05/29/fulham-set-to-make-concrete-offer-for-young-midfield-star-lamine/

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23-year-old's move to Fulham could be on after significant update



Aleksandar Mitrovic heavily associated himself with Fulham's future.

The Serbian striker has been the ideal loanee for the Cottagers because he scored 12 goals in 20 league games to help propel them into the Premier League through the play-offs.

His physicality and aggressive style of play is perfect for Fulham because he can carve out his own chances as well as drawing opposition players towards him, which opens up space for the rest of the team to exploit.

This is what he had to say about his and Fulham's future, as per to the Chronicle Live:

"For next season you can expect the same Fulham, we will try to beat every team even top teams.

"We will try to play football, we will try to always score one more goal, we will try to play attacking football and do the same thing we did this year

"We have to see what happens first but I would be happy to stay.

"We will see what happens, I will speak with my agent, I will speak with the club and we will see."

The Verdict

Mitrovic's comments clearly associate him and Fulham being together next season and he then confirms that is something he would like to happen. Therefore, this move seems probable because he never fitted in properly at Newcastle and they could use funds from his transfer to improve areas of their squad.

The priority for Fulham should be to get this move done before the World Cup because Mitrovic's value could rise substantially if he puts in a good tournament performance. They would struggle to find other strikers who match their system so well.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/23-year-olds-move-to-fulham-could-be-on-after-significant-update/

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Fulham interested in signing Bristol City defender

Fulham are interested in signing Bristol City's Aden Flint according to a report from HITC Sport.

The Cottagers sealed their promotion to the Premier League on Saturday after they beat Aston Villa in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final. And now that they are set to compete in the top tier again, they need to get the players who can compete at that level. And Fulham are already interested in bringing up one of the best defenders in the Championship up with him.

This report indicates that they are interested in signing Flint who has been a top player for Bristol City this season. He has been a key player in their back four for years now and the Robins were able to fend off interest last season. He would go on to have what was possibly one of the best seasons of his career as he was a rock in their defence throughout the year. He was also able to score eight goals in his 39 league appearances this season and was voted as the 27th Best Player in the EFL on our Top 50 Players countdown.

So it is no wonder why Fulham are looking to sign Flint. And this could finally be the year that someone is able to lure him away from Ashton Gate. With the Cottagers being in the Premier League and having a lot of money to play with because of it, they will be very hard to turn down for a player who will think he is ready for the top tier.



http://the72.co.uk/103697/fulham-interested-signing-bristol-city-defender/

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Ryan Sessegnon transfer: Fulham owner Shahid Khan says Manchester United and Tottenham target will stay


Ryan Sessegnon is wanted by Manchester United and Tottenham

Manchester United want him, so do Tottenham, while Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked, but Ryan Sessegnon is going to remain at Fulham next season.

That's according to the club's owner Shahid Khan, who saw the 18-year-old help the club reclaim their Premier League status by beating Aston Villa 1-0 in the Championship play-off final.

"We don't want Sessegnon leaving," he told The Times. "I don't think he wants to go. He's going to be at Fulham for the coming year, leading us into the Premier League."

Sessegnon is reportedly valued at £50million and it was he who provided the killer ball for captian Tom Cairney to score at Wembley.



This season Sessegnon scored 16 times and created eight in the Championship in addition to becoming the first player outside the top flight to be named on the shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association's Young Player of the Year award in its 44-year history.

Khan admits it would have been tricky to keep the teenager had Fulham not won promotion.

"Frankly, if we had not been promoted, well, we have a responsibility to our players. He's been there since he was eight. We want to do the right thing for him and he is Fulham through and through.

"He is going to be there next season."

After the win at Wembley, manager Slavisa Jokanovic said: "Many things can happen but I prefer to stay with him and what I know is that the kid wants to stay too. He is really happy in the place where he is."

However, Khan didn't rule out the idea of a bigger club paying for Sessegnon, with the player remaining at Craven Cottage on loan for the new 2018/19 season.

"If a club pays a ridiculous fee he's not going to be breaking into their starting XI so he will be at Fulham next year; what the terms are I don't know," he added.

"Nobody knows — we've not even stopped celebrating. I can tell you with certainty he's going to be at Fulham because it's good for him and good for us. We want him to stay, period."



Read more at https://talksport.com/football/ryan-sessegnon-transfer-fulham-owner-shahid-khan-says-manchester-united-and-tottenham#f2hsV5KbgvdWLWsd.99

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Aleksandar Mitrovic is 'hungry like a wolf' to impress at World Cup as he ponders Newcastle exit

Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic impressed on loan at Fulham and helped the Cottagers reach the top flight


Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrats after the final whistle during the Sky Bet Championship Final at Wembley Stadium, London. (Image: PA)

Aleksandar Mitrovic believes he "played the best football" in his career at Fulham - and the Newcastle United forward stresses he is "hungry like a wolf" to score more goals at the World Cup.

The 23-year-old admits he endured a "frustrating" first half of the campaign at Newcastle, where he failed to start a Premier League match, before joining the Cottagers in January.

In just 18 Championship starts, Mitrovic scored 12 goals and provided an assist as he helped Fulham return to the Premier League following a four-year absence.

Now the targetman forward is determined to make an impact at the World Cup in Russia with Serbia next month.

"It was a great way to end the season and it has really done a world of good for my confidence and motivation ahead of the World Cup," Mitrovic told the Serbian media after joining up with his national-team squad following Fulham's 1-0 play-off final victory over Aston Villa.

"I thrived from playing at Fulham under coach and compatriot Slavisa Jokanovic and I am hopeful of carrying my club form into the forthcoming games for Serbia.

"I played the best football of my life in the past few months after a frustrating first half of the season at Newcastle - and I am hungry like a wolf for more goals."

Promotion is worth at least £160million to Fulham, with the west London club guaranteed to receive such a figure in Premier League TV payments and then parachute payments - even if they are relegated next season.

Rafa Benitez is looking to offload Mitrovic and Newcastle are expected to demand between £15m-£20m for the forward's services this summer.

It is understood that Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic would like to keep the Serbia international in west London - and winning the play-off final has certainly increased their chances of acquiring the 23-year-old on a permanent basis.

Jokanovic has followed compatriot Mitrovic to Belgrade and was present at Serbia's training camp on Monday, but nothing has yet been agreed regarding the forward's future.

"We did not say anything specifically," Mitrovic said of his conversations with Jokanovic.

"We will see - I would not be talking about it now, we should talk about Serbia and the things that are happening here."

Mitrovic is likely to wait until after he represents Serbia at the World Cup this summer before deciding on where he believes his future lies.

Newcastle, meanwhile, would prefer to delay any transfer until after this summer's major tournament in Russia before offloading Mitrovic too, with the hope that impressive performances from the striker at the World Cup could lead his price to increase further.

Serbia take on Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica in the World Cup group stages, and Mitrovic is confident his nation can make an impact on the global stage.

"We are familiar with that kind of pressure because our fans or so passionate and hungry for success," Mitrovic added.

"On one hand, merely qualifying for the World Cup after an eight-year absence from major tournaments is a success in its own right but on the other, it would be a pity for a team of this quality to suffer an early exit.

"The opening game against Costa Rica will be key because a win would trace the path to the knockout rounds so the upcoming warm-up games against Chile and Bolivia will be a good test of our credentials.

"We have to put all the pieces of the puzzle into place during those two games and work hard to improve in departments which need polishing."



https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aleksandar-mitrovic-hungry-like-wolf-14718644

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Tottenham may abandon Sessegnon move in favour of international winger

Tottenham Hotspur may abandon their pursuit of Fulham winger Ryan Sessegnon following his side's promotion to the Premier League at the weekend, with The Telegraph reporting that Borussia Dortmund's Christian Pulisic is now a more realistic target.

The Whites beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to seal a return to the top flight for the first time in four years.

And it now appears that their prospects of keeping hold of 18-year-old starlet Sessegnon have been hugely increased.

Interest from the Premier League has long been rumoured but Fulham can now offer him that platform themselves next term.

The England under-21 international's supposed £50 million price tag was also a concern for Tottenham and Pulisic could be the man that they turn to instead.

At 19 he has his best years firmly in front of him and his prominence in the USA national team would also be a big selling point for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

The Lilywhites' new stadium, which will be ready next season, will play host to several NFL fixtures as well as the club's own domestic and European matches, a move designed in part to boost Tottenham's profile across the Atlantic.

Pulisic is considered the brightest talent to come out of the American game in the modern era and followed up his breakthrough 2016-17 campaign for Dortmund with another solid season this time around.

Tottenham Hotspur may abandon their pursuit of Fulham winger Ryan Sessegnon following his side's promotion to the Premier League at the weekend, with The Telegraph reporting that Borussia Dortmund's Christian Pulisic is now a more realistic target.

The Whites beat Aston Villa 1-0 at Wembley on Saturday to seal a return to the top flight for the first time in four years.

And it now appears that their prospects of keeping hold of 18-year-old starlet Sessegnon have been hugely increased.

Interest from the Premier League has long been rumoured but Fulham can now offer him that platform themselves next term.

The England under-21 international's supposed £50 million price tag was also a concern for Tottenham and Pulisic could be the man that they turn to instead.

At 19 he has his best years firmly in front of him and his prominence in the USA national team would also be a big selling point for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

The Lilywhites' new stadium, which will be ready next season, will play host to several NFL fixtures as well as the club's own domestic and European matches, a move designed in part to boost Tottenham's profile across the Atlantic.

Pulisic is considered the brightest talent to come out of the American game in the modern era and followed up his breakthrough 2016-17 campaign for Dortmund with another solid season this time around.



https://whiteheartlane.com/tottenham-may-abandon-sessegnon-move-in-favour-of-international-winger/

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Ryan Sessegnon will lead Fulham into Premier League, says owner Shahid Khan

Ryan Sessegnon will be a Fulham player next season in the Premier League even if he is sold and loaned back, says owner Shahid Khan.

The 18-year-old has attracted interest from Manchester United and Tottenham after 16 goals and seven assists saw him win Sky Bet Championship Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season at the EFL awards.

Fulham owner Khan hopes that promotion back to the top flight via Saturday's play-off final win over Aston Villa will help keep Sessegnon, who can be deployed as a left winger or left full-back, at Craven Cottage.

Ryan Sessegnon will be a Fulham player next season in the Premier League even if he is sold and loaned back, says owner Shahid Khan.

The 18-year-old has attracted interest from Manchester United and Tottenham after 16 goals and seven assists saw him win Sky Bet Championship Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season at the EFL awards.

Fulham owner Khan hopes that promotion back to the top flight via Saturday's play-off final win over Aston Villa will help keep Sessegnon, who can be deployed as a left winger or left full-back, at Craven Cottage.

However, Khan admitted that if Fulham were to sell Sessegnon to one of Europe's top clubs, it would have to be for the right price and with an option to be loaned back.

"If a club pays a ridiculous fee [for Sessegnon] he's not going to be breaking into their starting XI so he will be at Fulham next year; what the terms are I don't know."



http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/11389008/ryan-sessegnon-will-lead-fulham-into-premier-league-says-owner-shahid-khan

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Newcastle prepared to bide time over Mitrovic deal



Newcastle United are prepared to bide their time over the summer sale of Aleksandar Mitrovic in the hope of a much bigger fee, according to a reliable journalist.

Chronicle football editor Mark Douglas reported on his personal account today (Tuesday) that Fulham are keen to quickly converted Mitrovic's loan deal into a permanent move.

But Douglas explained Newcastle could look to stall the deal as they believe Mitrovic's price will shoot up if he thrives for Serbia at the World Cup.

OPINION

Newcastle clearly have no place for Mitrovic, who couldn't get a game for love nor money and was behind Dwight Gayle and Joselu in the striker pecking order before his January loan move to the capital. The Serbia international might not be to Rafael Benitez's taste – his lack of discipline makes him an accident waiting to happen – but Fulham are keen to build their attack around him after sealing a return to the Premier League. His record at the London club is outstanding, with 20 Championship matches yielding 12 goals, many of them crucial ones. Intriguingly, Newcastle don't want to let Mitrovic go early in the window for £15million and then look back in dismay if he explodes for Serbia this summer. A good World Cup and the 23-year-old's value could soar way beyond £20million. Some Toon fans will be concerned that the departure of such a polished finisher is inevitable. But they won't care a jot if a top-ranking centre-forward is signed to replace him in time for the start of next season.



https://nothingbutnewcastle.com/2018/05/blogs/newcastle-prepared-to-bide-time-over-mitrovic-deal/

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Former Middlesbrough defender Cyrus Christie on his Fulham move and Premier League hopes

The right-back was one of Boro's best players in the first half of the season before joining Fulham in January

Former Middlesbrough defender Cyrus Christie has admitted he hoped for more of a first team role when he signed for Fulham in January.

But the defender is overjoyed to have ended the season with Wembley delight and play-off success with the Cottagers, saying Fulham can go on to achieve "great things" in the Premier League.

Christie was one of Boro's best players in the first half of the season under Garry Monk but Tony Pulis quickly identified Ryan Shotton as his first choice right-back after taking charge in December.

When Slavisa Jokanovic came calling, Pulis didn't stand in Christie's way and while the Republic or Ireland's fast and tidy style of play suits Fulham's eye-catching approach, the ex-Derby man has been a victim of the excellence of another ex-Boro defender - Ryan Fredericks.

The form of Fredericks meant Christie had only played 135 minutes of football for the Cottagers before he was brought off the bench for the final seven minutes of Saturday's play-off final against Aston Villa.

At one point, it seemed Fredericks' time at Fulham was coming to an end with the former Spurs man yet to extend a contract that expires this summer and with several Premier League clubs keen. That would have opened the door for Christie to nail down a spot in the side.

But now Fredericks has revealed he's keen to stay at Craven Cottage.

"It's up to the people behind the scenes but I'm sure everyone will want to stay and play at the highest level with Fulham and see what we can achieve," Fredericks told the London Evening Standard after Saturday's Wembley success.


Albert Adomah in action for Aston Villa in the play-off final against ex-Boro defender Ryan Fredericks

"Can this club allow me to fulfil my ambitions? Of course. You look at the players we're attracting, like Aleksandar Mitrovic, we've already got Premier League players in the Championship so I'm sure we're going to build again and have many years in the Premier League."

Despite failing to oust Fredericks from the Fulham side, Christie insists he's pleased and proud to be part of a team that he thinks can kick on after securing promotion.

He said : "I've come here and we're now in the Premier League, so it's a great feeling.

"I don't think I can describe the feeling, to be honest - it's a fantastic achievement and we're all looking forward to next season.

"I'd have liked to have come and play more but I've come to a team that are playing really well and fair play to the lads, we drove each other on and it's been fantastic to get over the final hurdle.

"I think a lot of people wrote us off when we lost two on the bounce but we knew we could do it. There was talk from a lot of other camps saying we weren't going to do it because of the pressure, but we rose to the occasion."

Looking ahead to next season, Christie added: "We want to survive.

"We want to go there and play our football; we've got a great identity in how we play football and we'll have to go and stamp our identity and the way we play to carry on what we've done this season.

"If you look at the team and the age of us, we have massive potential. We can do great things - we have a great team and a great manager as well, so the spirit in the team is always fantastic.

"It's time to kick on and show what we can do next season."



https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-middlesbrough-defender-cyrus-christie-14719194

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Ryan Sessegnon will stay at Fulham despite Spurs interest, says Shahid Khan: 'I don't think he wants to go'

    Fulham owner Shahid Khan insists Ryan Sessegnon will not be sold this summer
    Tottenham are one of the teams interested in signing the 18-year-old winger
    But Khan says Sessegnon will stay where he is following Fulham's promotion

Teenage Fulham sensation Ryan Sessegnon will remain at Craven Cottage next season despite being linked with a move to a top-six Premier League outfit, according to club owner Shahid Khan.

Sessegnon has earned rave reviews for his performances this season which helped drive the club's promotion to the Premier League, with the winger peaking the interest of Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham.

But Khan said Fulham's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Championship play-off final means the 18-year-old winger will grace the Premier League in a white Fulham shirt next season.


Fulham teenager Ryan Sessegnon celebrated promotion to the Premier League on Saturday

'We don't want Sessegnon leaving,' Khan told The Times. 'I don't think he wants to go. He's going to be at Fulham for the coming year, leading us into the Premier League.

'Frankly, if we had not been promoted, well, we have a responsibility to our players. He's been there since he was eight. We want to do the right thing for him and he is Fulham through and through. He is going to be there next season.'

Sessegnon lit up the Championship with 16 goals and eight assists, becoming the first player outside the top flight to be named on the shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association's Young Player of the Year award.

Khan has not ruled out the possibility of accepting a huge offer but only with a clause that allows Sessegnon to continue his development in west London next season.

'If a club pays a ridiculous fee (for Sessegnon) he's not going to be breaking into their starting XI so he will be at Fulham next year; what the terms are I don't know,' Khan added.

'Nobody knows, we've not even stopped celebrating. I can tell you with certainty he's going to be at Fulham because it's good for him and good for us. We want him to stay, period.'


Fulham owner Shahid Khan is adamant that winger Sessegnon, 18, will not be sold this summer



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5782651/Ryan-Sessegnon-stay-Fulham-summer-insists-Shahid-Khan-dont-think-wants-go.html#ixzz5Gxs1YXne
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[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham should make statement of intent and bring Luke Shaw home

Fulham need a new left-back and Shaw is festering in the Manchester United reserves.



Luke Shaw's future is up in the air at present. Four years ago he was the bright hope in the England squad that went to the World Cup in Brazil. He then completed a £27 million move to Manchester United the same summer but he has since had a torrid time with injuries and form. His attacking brand of full-back play is certainly not to the taste of current Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho. That has seen him slip down the pecking order at Old Trafford and he will surely want to leave this summer.

But while Shaw's swashbuckling approach to football might not sit right with Mourinho, Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic is probably a big fan.

So, should Fulham make a move?

Of course, the immediate thought instantly goes to funds. Whilst Manchester United are expected to accept a reasonable fee, or perhaps even a loan deal, the defender is on £130,000-a-week. The Daily Mail however reported in the winter that Shaw was ready to take a pay cut in order to go and play regular football elsewhere.

Fulham would be the perfect move for the 22-year-old if he is willing to take a huge reduction in wages.

The Cottagers need a new left-back with Shaw's former Southampton team-mate Matt Targett's loan spell ending and Mark Hughes wanting him back at St Mary's.

Ryan Sessegnon has pushed on into an attacking role and it leaves Fulham short in the position.

Shaw would also be moving back nearer home. Born in Kingston-upon-Thames the self-confessed Chelsea fan would soon be forgiven for being a Blue if he thrived at Fulham.

His style would also suit the way Fulham play. Imagine a left-hand side consisting of Shaw and Sessegnon? It would be quite a terrifying threat for the Premier League newbies.

His contract at United ends next year and, despite reports today suggesting he is determined to stay at Old Trafford, going on loan to Fulham makes perfect sense. He could play regular football all season and then assess his options as a free agent in 12 months time.

Fulham should be bold and spend some of that play-off winners money on trying to lure the forgotten talent of English football back to his home in southwest London.



https://tbrfootball.com/fulham-make-statement-intent-bring-luke-shaw-home/

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FPL promotion prospects: Focus on Fulham flair



Ryan Sessegnon is one of four players from Craven Cottage The Scout says has the potential to thrive in 2018/19

Now we know all three promoted sides for the 2018/19 Premier League The Scout analyses their players as to who could make an impact in Fantasy Premier League next season.

Fulham
Fulham's attacking flair can be a bonus for managers in the upcoming season.

The Cottagers arrive in the Premier League having scored 79 goals in the Championship, second only to the 82 of title-winners Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Slavisa Jokanovic's side produced 60 of their goals from open play, 10 more than any other team.

Wolves and Cardiff City, the other promoted side, were far more reliant on set-pieces, each scoring 21 goals from them.

But in defence, Fulham appear the least resilient of the promoted teams.

Their 17 clean sheets were bettered by both Wolves' 24 and Cardiff's 19.

That suggests FPL managers should focus on Fulham's attacking options, or perhaps their forward-thinking full-backs.

Ryan Fredericks
The right-back was a key source of creativity.

Fredericks's 20 chances created from crosses were more than any team-mate on his way to producing seven assists.

He was also Fulham's second-best successful tackler, with 53, which makes him a contender for bonus points.


From left: Fulham's Ryan Fredericks, Stefan Johansen and Ryan Sessegnon

Ryan Sessegnon
With 15 goals and eight assists in the regular season, the 18-year-old, can become the go-to Fantasy option among Fulham's ranks.

A move into attack transformed Sessegnon's prospects.

He started the campaign as a left-back but was shifted to the left of a 4-3-3 midway through the season.

As a result, 50 of his 56 shots were fired from inside the penalty area.

Stefan Johansen
With eight goals and nine assists, only Sessegnon was involved in more goals for Fulham.

The central midfielder's creativity was a key weapon for Jokanovic's side.

The club's main set-piece taker, his 92 chances created were more than any team-mate.

Aleksandar Mitrovic
The target man had a major impact after arriving on loan from Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

Mitrovic scored 12 goals in 20 appearances, averaging a shot every 20.3 minutes.

The Serb can become a top target among the promoted forwards if he secures a permanent move to Craven Cottage in the summer.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/694267

[WhiteJC]

 
Loan watch: Mitro helps Cottagers reach Premier League

Aleksandar Mitrovic helped Fulham reach the Premier League as they beat Aston Villa in the Sky Bet Championship final at Wembley on Saturday.

The Serbian striker played the full 90 minutes as the Cottagers won 1-0 thanks to Tom Cairney's 23rd-minute goal.

And despite going down to ten men when Denis Odoi was shown a second yellow card in the 70th minute, Fulham held on to secure promotion to the top flight.

Mitrovic joined the Craven Cottage side on loan in January and scored 12 goals in 15 league starts. Saturday was the final game of his loan spell.

And he will now prepare for this summer's World Cup with Serbia, having enjoyed a prolific qualifying campaign to help his side reach the tournament in Russia.



https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/latest-news/loan-watch-mitro-helps-cottagers-reach-premier-league

[WhiteJC]

 
Barnsley and Rotherham United interested in Fulham forward

Barnsley and Rotherham United are interested in signing Fulham's George Williams according to a report from HITC Sport.

It is well-known how good the Fulham academy is for producing top quality players, just look at recent graduate Ryan Sessegnon, and Williams has been regarded as one of the best to come out of it in recent years. Despite that, he has struggled to break into the first team. Through a combination of injuries and bad luck, Williams has often been frozen out of the first team and had to go out on loan to get first team action.

So despite the 22-year-old forward being highly regarded at Craven Cottage, he looks set to leave the club at the end of his contract. And this has attracted the interest of two teams from South Yorkshire. Barnsley and Rotherham may be heading in opposite directions, with Barnsley being relegated while Rotherham got promoted after beating Shrewsbury Town in the play-off final, but both have decided that Williams would be great additions to their sides.

Rotherham will most likely have the advantage in the race to sign Williams as they are in the Sky Bet Championship and the chance to be a regular in that division will be a great opportunity for him. For Barnsley, who are yet to appoint a new manager after sacking Jose Morais, they will be looking to get promoted which may provide a more enjoyable playing experience for Williams rather than fighting against relegation like what will be expected with Rotherham.



http://the72.co.uk/103738/barnsley-rotherham-united-interested-fulham-forward/

[WhiteJC]

 
Fulham hoping to snap up midfielder in preparation for the Premier League

Fulham are hoping to complete an early piece of summer business by snapping up Lamine Fomba, according to reports from France.

French media outlet L'Equipe (reported via Get French Football News) claim that Fulham hold an interest in Auxerre midfielder Fomba.

The Cottagers are heading to the Premier League after they beat Aston Villa 1-0 in the play-off final at Wembley on Saturday thanks to a Tom Cairney goal.

Now that the season is over, Fulham can start looking at transfer targets ahead of their upcoming Premier League campaign in the 2018/19 season and they have turned their attention to Fomba as a possible early arrival.

The 20-year-old is entering the final year of his contract with Auxerre and already has Ligue 2 minutes to his name despite his young age.

The former France under-18 international was previously offered a contract by Tottenham Hotspur but he rejected the North London side to sign professional terms with Auxerre instead.

Fomba has played six games for Auxerre this season, with just one of those coming on as a substitute.

Fulham have watched the young midfielder on several occasions this year and are now expected to follow up their interest by submitting an offer.

The Verdict

It is always a good sign that someone is playing senior football at such a young age and this shows that he could be ready to make the step-up.

Fulham will not be signing him as an immediate fix but rather as one for the future.

And if Spurs were interested enough to offer him a deal, then the kid has to have something about him.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/fulham-hoping-to-snap-up-midfielder-in-preparation-for-the-premier-league/

[WhiteJC]

 
How much Fulham would have to pay for Bristol City star Aden Flint

Key central defender would command a king's ransom the way he does balls into the box

After a dalliance with Birmingham City last summer, a move away from Ashton Gate floundered and eventually no club was willing to meet the fee set for star defender Aden Flint last summer.

Geoff Twentyman relayed on the radio that he believed that a fee of around £5m would have captured the tall central defender's signature.

Certainly Mark Ashton admitted that to Twentyman in a BBC Radio Bristol interview that a figure above that would 'get the conversation started'.

Regardless, Flint stayed at Ashton Gate and has had a good season, dealing with Zlatan Ibrahimovic well even if the Swede did score his last goal on British soil in BS3 as the Robins faced Flint's favoured team growing up.


Aden Flint talks to the referee after his sending-off against Preston

Another nine goals were plundered this season (eight in the league, including match-winners against Sheffield United, Cardiff and Reading) and the former Swindon Town man did not disappoint.

While Lee Johnson spoke last season about his wish for Bristol City to improve at the back and bring the ball out into midfield in a better manner, Flint got his head down, worked hard in training, recaptured his place in the team and led City up the table.

Flint is an icon for the fans and many love his no nonsense approach and bags of character on and off the pitch.

And fortunately for the fans, the Bristol City centre-back was convinced to sign a new contract in January - adding a year on to his current deal (until 2021 now) and, possibly importantly too, upping his value in the transfer market.

Some may speculate about release clauses and such but we know of none and there's a good chance that there isn't any that exists, with Ashton and Johnson wise enough to have added one year club option extensions into the contracts of many of their players.

Bobby Reid and Marlon Pack's deals were extended this season as examples of this.

So in that case we'd be looking at lot more for the 28-year-old Flint if anyone wanted him this summer.

A top Championship side would only be a sideways move said Johnson last January.

Since then Flint has been named as the best defender in the Championship by FourFourTwo magazine. That could push the price tag up a little, with Southampton having sent key recruitment scouts - such as Ross Wilson - to Ashton Gate towards the end of the season.

Fulham have been linked with a move today as they build for their first campaign in the Premier League.

Centre-backs of the same value?

Perhaps we should look at how much the following would cost (equivalent players as judged by the TransferMarkt.com website)?

    Sean Morrisson of Cardiff
    Tom Lees of Leeds
    Kyle Bartley of Swansea City
    Even Nathan Baker of...
    Harry Maguire - estimated £12.5m last summer
    Pontus Jansson - estimated £4m fee last summer

If a Premier League club came calling then we expect a figure of £6-8million 'would get the conversation started' with Bristol City.



https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/aden-flint-fulham-transfer-news-1607450