Fulham's transfer and scouting network

[Barrett487]

https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/fulham-transfers-tony-khan-jokanovic-14599209

The key figures behind Fulham's transfer and scouting network during the transfer window.

We take a look at the men who will be key to Fulham's recruitment policy in the upcoming transfer window

Preparations are already underway for Fulham's Premier League, with the club currently attempting to further strengthen their side for the 2018/10 season.

After a successful January Transfer Window, the club's recruitment department will be keen to continue that into this summer in what is, arguably, an even more important window as the club looks to build on a successful 2017/18.

The signing of Cyrus Christie showed the long-term thinking in January, while Aleksandar Mitrovic's and Matt Targett's acquisitions benefited the club in the short-term, with both players plugging gaps and adding strength to a side chasing promotion.

The summer's strategy has been planned in advance, with three groups of players identified during last season - group a, which was players who would sign only in the Premier League, group b, players that would be signed if it was the Championship again and group c, which was players who would sign in both the Premier League and Championship.

Despite there being no signings as yet, work is ongoing in the background to secure players as the Whites prepare for life back in the top flight.

But who is in charge of recruitment and how do they find new players? We take a look at Fulham's recruitment strategy and how January's success will impact the summer.

Tony Khan - Vice Chairman and Director of Football Operations

As is fairly common knowledge, Khan plays a crucial role in the acquisition of new players at Craven Cottage and heads up the side's recruitment department.

It's down to Khan and his team to find new players and sign them for the side, with input from James Lovell on the date side of things and Brian Talbot with the traditional scouting method.

Khan was appointed to the role in February 2017 but had been advising the club on the football operations, with analytics and research featuring predominantly in his work and helped build the side that lost in the play-offs last season.

The son of owner, Shahid Khan, Khan Jnr will play a crucial role in the identifying and signing of players at Fulham this summer.

He works directly with Lovell, Talbot and Slavisa Jokanovic in the recruiting of players.

James Lovell - Data Analyst

Lovell was appointed to the role that was previously held by controversial character, Craig Kline, after the club relieved the American of his duties.

A former first team performance analyst at Fulham, Lovell's impact on the January transfer window was huge,with the club focusing on players with English experience, including the signings of Targett and Christie.

Lovell has been involved in the development and use of data in the club's scouting process in the past to help identify players of interest and influence the scouting process at the club, which is now his main role.

He'll be responsible for the date side of signings in the summer Transfer Window, working alongside Khan, Talbot and Jokanovic in order to find signings and recruit them for the coming season.

Brian Talbot - Assistant Director of Football Operations and Chief Scout

Talbot was appointed to his role in February 2017 when Khan was named as Director of Football operations and have previously served as the club's European Scout from 2011.

He is responsible for the traditional scouting method that the club implements on new signings to compliment the data models that Lovell and Khan use, in order to ensure that both bases are covered.

Talbot makes sure that potential signings have been watched by the club's scouting department, reports that are then combined with their statistical model before a decision is made on whether the club proceeds with signing them or not.

He has six full time scouts under his watch, but none of these are ever permanently situated in a single country to watch players.

Instead, scouts are sent to countries that the data tells Fulham's recruitment team that players are statistically better than ones in England, which is why the side have always signed players from Belgium.

His scouting department will have already been watching potential signings this season with a view to bringing them to Craven Cottage for the next campaign.

Alistair Mackintosh - Chief Executive

Fulham's chief executive will work alongside Khan and the recruitment team when negotiating with clubs and trying to strike a deal for new players.

An accountant by profession, Mackintosh joined the club in 2008 from Manchester City and has played a key role at the club since, overseeing a European final as well as the side's highest ever finish in the Premier League.

Recently, he's helped the club gain planning permission for the redevelopment of the Riverside Stand and will play a key role once again in the acquisition of signings.

Slavisa Jokanovic - Head Coach

There still seems to be confusion on what Jokanovic's role in transfers at Fulham is since the departure of Kline.

The head coach is still not responsible for the buying or selling of players, but an increase in communication between Jokanovic and the recruitment department sees him have more of an input in the process.

That was clear in the Mitrovic transfer, where the forward and the head coach spoke on WhatsApp before Jokanovic went to the recruitment department with the suggestion of signing the Newcastle striker.

But that deal was only done after the recruitment department had run their statistical model on the 23-year-old - eventually paving the way for a deal.

This increase in communication, as well as a strong working relationship with Lovell, will be an important part of the club's summer plans.

[David I]

Here we go again ....

[filham]

Essential that Jocanovic has the last word, any other way is a recipe for relegation.