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Sunday Fulham Stuff (22/07/18)...

Started by WhiteJC, July 22, 2018, 06:46:20 AM

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WhiteJC

 
The latest on Rotherham's pursuit of Marek Rodak, according to boss Paul Warne



Rotherham boss Paul Warne hopes to have Marek Rodak back at the club in time for Wednesday's friendly with Cardiff.

The goalkeeper's potential loan return to the Millers has been delayed due to a changing situation at his parent club Fulham.

Warne had hoped to have the Slovakia Under-21 international back in time for the start of pre-season but David Button's move to Brighton and an injury to Marcus Bettinelli prevented that.

The Premier League new boys are reported to be closing in on a new goalkeeper, which would see Rodak be able to head back to the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Warne is prepared to be flexible in his wait for Rodak, but will not hang around forever.

"I believe I am pretty close but I have believed I've been pretty close for a few weeks now," the boss said.

"I am not going to say the name, but you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out who I am after. I have got two other ones I really like as well.

"We're getting to the stage now where I need it finalised one way or the other, I think we have been really patient but all three I am looking at are loans so I have to be respectful of their parent clubs' situation.

"I am really hopeful that will be done for the Cardiff game.

"There is no deadline as such but because you really want your number one target you are a little bit more flexible.

"What I wouldn't want to do, if I was signing Peter Shilton, say no to him at 12 o'clock because it wasn't agreed and then get a phone call at 3 o'clock to say I could have him, I would be like, 'Oh my god'.

"We are speaking to the club on a daily basis, but realistically if it doesn't happen next week, I can't have a goalkeeper come in and not have at least a week's training with the team.

"I could have two centre-halves who have never played with a goalkeeper, which is lunacy, I honestly think that if it's not happened by next week or I feel it's not going to happen, I will sign somebody else."



http://itsmillerstime.co.uk/the-latest-on-rotherhams-pursuit-of-marek-rodak-according-to-boss-paul-warne/

WhiteJC

 
Espanyol boss gives verdict on Fulham's reported big-money bid for David Lopez

Fulham have been linked with Espanyol's David Lopez.

Espanyol boss Joan Francesc Ferrer Sicilia, commonly known as Rubi, says defender David Lopez wants to remain at the club amid a reported bid from Premier League side Fulham, Diario Sport report.

The Cottagers have reportedly made a sizeable bid for the defender, according to Spanish editorial AS, but the player has a whopping £35 million release clause which Espanyol aren't willing to budge on.

Aside from the economic difficulty of spending such a heavy figure on a 28-year-old, Fulham's chance of signing Lopez appears very bleak with the player seemingly intent on staying at the Catalan club.

Espanyol boss Rubi, speaking to Diario Sport, admitted that the situation has affected the player though he remains adamant that the leading central defender wants to stay put and reject any advances.

"David isn't sad, but logically he wants to get everything sorted as quickly as possible. I'm convinced we will resolve the situation in our favour and David will stay with Espanyol," he told Diario Sport.

"He wants to stay and we want him to remain with us. He is a vital player, I hope it's resolved soon."

Fulham have bolstered their midfield with the arrival of Jean Seri while Newcastle United's Aleksandar Mitrovic remains a key striker target. Now, it appears Slavisa Jokanovic has turned to the defence.

Lopez would be an excellent addition for the west London side as he is comfortable at bringing the ball out of defence but paying anywhere near his current release clause would be way too excessive.

Jokanovic will be keen to make more signings before the start of the season as he seeks Premier League survival, but Fulham must be careful not to overspend leaving them with a potential problem in 12 months' time.



http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/07/21/tt-espanyol-boss-gives-verdict-on-fulhams-reported-big-money-bid/

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Keeper Leaves Craven Cottage For Seaside Jaunt

One of the consequences of getting promoted is the necessity to improve or modify, the squad.

The Premier League is an entirely different entity to that of the Championship and, as Slavisa Jokanovic looks to ensure we do more than just survive in the top-flight of English football, it will mean that some of the squad who achieved so much last season will be jettisoned.

Earlier this week, whilst I was on vacation, we bid farewell to David Button, a goalkeeper who did more than his fair share when it came to achieving the promotion dream.

Button, now 29-years-of-age, has joined our Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion on a three-year deal.

Fulham signed Button from Brentford, in July 2016 for an undisclosed fee and he made 20 appearances in our promotion season.

However, he lost his place between the sticks to Marcus Bettinelli and was unable to dislodge his younger rival.

Here at Vital Fulham, we'd like to thank David Button for his contribution to the Cottagers cause and wish him well in the next stage of his career, we're sure when he returns to Craven Cottage, with Brighton, he'll get a warm reception.



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-keeper-leaves-craven-cottage-for-seaside-jaunt/


WhiteJC

 
Sky Sports reporter drops bombshell ahead of Aleksandar Mitrovic's Fulham move – Disgraceful



peaking during Sky Sports' latest Transfer Talk podcast, North-East reporter Keith Downie has admitted that it's now 'highly unlikely' that Rafa Benitez will even receive a big chunk of the cash Newcastle receive for the sale of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Serbian has been on holiday following his World Cup exploits in Russia, however it's emerged over the last few days that a £20m move to Fulham is all but done, with some even reporting that he'll sign at Craven Cottage over the weekend.

I'm not expecting Fulham to hand us a lump sum of £20m the day the deal goes through as transfers don't seem to work like that, but to hear Rafa isn't going to be given his fair share following a sale is just unacceptable.

Given the 'sell to buy' admission by Benitez earlier in the week, it was hoped and expected that Mitrovic's sale would FINALLY give us some money to spend on a new striker – so this is taking things to a new extreme by Ashley.

After speaking to the Spaniard in Ireland this week, here's what Keith Downie's had to say during Sky's latest podcast (33 minutes in), admitting that he's now 'unlikely' to even be handed much of the cash from Mitrovic's sale:

The thing that got to me that Rafa said was essentially they need to sell before they buy' players.'
"But even if they do, I get the impression if they were to sell Aleksandar Mitrovic tomorrow for £18-20m – which I think is going to go through – it's my understanding that he will not even get all of that money."


So, despite him claiming that 'every penny' generated by the club would be reinvested, it seems that Mike Ashley won't even release full amounts of money from player sales – never mind any of the £123m the club received last season.

Looking at our transfers so far, we should have seen this coming. Merino was sold for £10m yet we've replaced him with a free agent (Ki Sung-Yueng) and we clearly showed no intention of spending big to secure Kenedy on a permanent deal, opting for a loan instead.

It's bad enough when we show a lack of ambition and struggle to get the necessary deals done, but this is a step too far.

Click here (or see below) to listen to the full podcast for yourself (Keith Downie talks NUFC from 31 minutes onwards)

    For the full NUFC section with @PeteGravesSky and I, listen from 31 minutes in. https://t.co/ZTMEPrm47Y

    — Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) July 21, 2018



http://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/07/21/sky-sports-reporter-drops-bombshell-ahead-of-aleksandar-mitrovics-fulham-move-disgraceful/

WhiteJC

 
Player wants situation resolved 'as soon as possible' after Fulham offer

Fulham and David Lopez has managed to turn into a saga in just a few days.

First there were vague claims of interest from the Premier League club. Then there'd been an offer, rejected. Then another offer, also rejected. And then Espanyol spoke out and had a pop at the Cottagers.

Espanyol's Roger Guasch said yesterday, when quizzed about Fulham trying to sign the defender: "If someone is interested, they should come with the clause or around it. But, if the offer is €8m, they do not take us seriously. It's a lack of respect to the club."

Perhaps the La Liga club should go by that rule when approaching their own targets.

Anyway, on Saturday Catalan newspaper Sport explain Espanyol want Lopez to continue with them.

There's been repeated talk of a potential renewal, but Espanyol have dragged their feet having previously assured their player of an imminent better deal. What was that about respect?

The club's new coach Rubi is quoted as explaining Lopez "isn't sad" but wants the situation resolved "as soon as possible".

Sport reckon Fulham's offer was €12m, other figures have been pushed elsewhere.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/player-wants-situation-resolved-soon-possible-fulham-offer/

WhiteJC

 
Arsenal Star Could End Up Leaving Emirates After Fabri Confirmed Fulham Deal, Turkish Giants Target Replacement



Besiktas goalkeeper Fabri revealed that he is on the verge of joining Fulham following the 3-1 friendly victory over Krasnador on Friday.

"As you know the Premier League is a major league and one I am interested in joining. Negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing but there is a verbal agreement with Fulham. I want to thank Beşiktaş for my time here," Fabri said.

Turkish-Football reported that a verbal agreement in place between Fabri and Fulham for a €6m transfer move.

The keeper is expected to complete his move within the next 48 hours.

The Fabri transfer – should it go ahead – could see Arsenal keeper David Ospina replace the Spanish keeper at Besiktas.

Turkish-Football reported on Thursday that Besiktas had already been offered Ospina through agents operating with a mandate in Turkey.

Besiktas were waiting for the Fabri situation to be resolved before making a formal move for a replacement.

Colombian journalist Esteban Jaramillo, who Ospina follows on Twitter, tweeted on Wednesday that the keeper has given his word to Besiktas pending his official signature.

The 29-year-old reportedly has opted for the Turkish giants over Napoli and Sevilla.

There is one caveat, Besiktas have concerns over Ospina's wage demands and could make a move for Harun Tekin instead as a result.

Ospina has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal following the signing of Bernd Leno.

The Arsenal keeper has just 12 months remaining on his contract and has yet to sign a new deal.



https://turkish-football.com/arsenal-star-david-ospina-could-end-up-leaving-emirates-after-fabri-confirmed-fulham-agreement-besiktas/


WhiteJC

 
Leeds have to hijack Fulham's bid to sign Chelsea attacker Lucas Piazon on loan


According to a report in the Daily Star, via Sky Sports' Paper round-up on July 20, Fulham want to sign Chelsea attacker Lucas Piazon on loan for the third time, and Championship club Leeds United must hijack any potential move.

What's the word, then?
Well, the 24-year-old forward has spent the two previous seasons on loan at Craven Cottage, and he has made a big impression for the west London club in that time with 12 goals and nine assists in 58 appearances, helping them reach the Premier League last term despite missing four months with a broken leg.

Now it appears as though Slavisa Jokanovic wants to bring the Brazilian back, according to the Daily Star, for another spell to boost their top-flight campaign, with Jean Seri among the exciting summer additions they have already made.

Why should Leeds hijack any deal?
Well, it has been something of a disastrous transfer window for Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa so far with Chelsea loanees Jamal Blackman and Lewis Baker the only additions, and they are looking particularly short in attacking areas right now following the departures of Pierre-Michel Lasogga, Pawel Cibicki, Marcus Antonsson and Jay-Roy Grot this summer.

The Argentine boss will be desperate to bring in a wide player especially, as was shown when he wanted Brentford wide man Florian Jozefzoon, who chose to snub them in favour of a move to Championship rivals Derby County.

The Yorkshire club, who should sign a Millwall man to complete Bielsa's new-look midfield, can rescue the situation by getting the talented Piazon though, who is twice the player the Dutchman is – especially at this level.

While it will be tough to compete with Premier League Fulham, Leeds would be able to guarantee the South American the guaranteed starts that he may not get with the Cottagers depending on how the rest of their own transfer window pans out.



https://www.footballfancast.com/championship/leeds/leeds-have-to-hijack-fulhams-bid-to-sign-chelsea-attacker-lucas-piazon-on-loan

WhiteJC

 
Fulham coach telephones player to convince him on transfer, deal now close

Turkish newspaper Aksam report Besiktas goalkeeper Fabri will fly to London to complete his move to Fulham.

Earlier this week we covered claims from Turkey that Besiktas have accepted Fulham's €6m offer for the player and all that needed to be sorted was the commission the player's agent would be receiving.

It's now looking very likely Fabri willbe  at Fulham next season and Aksam say the Premier League's goalkeeping coach Jose Sambade is the main reason the player will leave Besiktas to join the West London club.

Aksam report Sambade personally called Fabri and used their relationship to convince him over a move to Fulham.

The Spanish goalkeeper reportedly wanted to work with Sambade again, this time at Fulham.

After joining on a free transfer from Deportivo La Coruna on the advice of Sambade, Fabri will now be leaving Besiktas after two successful seasons in Turkey. The player won the Turkish Super Lig title whilst with the Istanbul club.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-coach-calls-former-player-convince-move-deal-now-close/

WhiteJC

 
TICKETS: Fulham Trip Sold Out

Tickets for Crystal Palace's opening Premier League game of the season against Fulham at Craven Cottage are now sold out.

As with all sold out away games, the club will be operating a waiting list which supporters can join for any returned tickets the club may receive.

To join, please purchase the "Fulham Waiting List" product for free on our online ticket site, where you will be required to log into your Palace Once Account.

Once purchased please ensure all your contact details are up to date.

If any tickets become available ,supporters will be contacted by email with the instructions on how to purchase.



https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2018/july/tickets-fulham-trip-sold-out/


WhiteJC

 
Besiktas Accept £6.25m Fulham Offer For Fabri, Official Announcement Expected

Besiktas have accepted a £6.25m offer from Fulham for Fabri according to Turkish-Football sources.

The Super Lig outfit are expected to make an official announcement within the next 48 hours confirming the transfer.

The Spanish goalkeeper has already bid farewell to his Besiktas teammates and the squad.

The 3-1 victory in the friendly against Krasnador on Friday was his final game for the Istanbul based side.

Fabri confirmed afterwards that he had reached an agreement with Fulham.

"As you know the Premier League is a major league and one I am interested in joining. Negotiations between the two clubs are ongoing but there is a verbal agreement with Fulham. I want to thank Beşiktaş for my time here," Fabri said.

The 30-year-old joined Besiktas on a free transfer from Deportivo de la Coruna in 2016.

Jose Sambade was Fabri's goalkeeper coach at Deportivo.

Sambade later joined Besiktas were he urged the club to sign the keeper.

The coach, now at Fulham, played a role in convincing Fabri to join the Premier League outfit as well.

Fabri will be joining his former goalkeeper coach at Deportivo and Besiktas, Jose Sambade once the Fulham transfer goes ahead.

Fabri had just 12 months remaining on his contract and was demanding a pay increase.

The Black Eagles are however, in the process of slashing the wage budget and could not match the keeper's demands.



https://turkish-football.com/besiktas-accept-6-25m-fulham-offer-fabri-official-announcement-expected/

WhiteJC

 
Fantasy Football Potential – Maxime Le Marchand

Fulham have signed French defender Maxime Le Marchand from OSG Nice for a fee in the region of £12 million. Le Marchand joins Jean Michael Seri in joining the Cottagers from Nice this summer. He played 65 times for Nice in Ligue 1 scoring the one goal.

Maxime Le Marchand has also played European football for Nice, playing 10 games across the Champions League and the Europa League. He didn't have much success in the Europa League last season, as the centre back scored an own goal in their 1-0 group stage loss to Lazio.

Speaking to fulhamfc.com, Le Marchand said:

"I'm very happy to sign for Fulham, this is a big club that's very popular. "I'm also happy to have joined up with a good friend, Jean Michaël Seri. I know that there is a lot of hard work ahead and I hope to bring my very best to this team."

Fantasy Premier League Potential (4.5m)
With the amount of money Fulham spent on him, you would expect that he will have a place in Slavisa Jokanovic's starting eleven. At £4.5m he may be a good option, especially with someone like Tom Cairney on set pieces. However Le Marchand isn't renowned for his goal scoring prowess, so it may be difficult to receive attacking returns from him.

He is owned by just 0.2% meaning he could be a fantastically high differential and I don't expect that percentage will go up much more throughout the season unless Fulham can produce a top half finish. There are a quite a few better options for £4.5m so it may be worth looking elsewhere than selecting the Frenchman.

Fulham's first five fixtures are as follows: Crystal Palace (H), Tottenham (A), Burnley (H), Brighton (A) and Manchester City (A). It is a varied start to the season for Fulham but I can see Fulham getting a clean sheet or two in this run of games.

Written by Harry Clark (@HarryClark67)



http://fplupdates.com/fpl-potential/fantasy-football-potential-maxime-le-marchand/

WhiteJC

 
Fulham face having to pay £35m for David Lopez as struggling Espanyol demand his full release clause

    Slavisa Jokanovic wants to add experience to his squad ahead of the new season
    David Lopez, 28, is a versatile midfielder capable of playing across the defence
    Espanyol are reluctant to lose their captain despite ongoing financial trouble

Fulham are interested in signing Espanyol defensive midfielder David Lopez, but face having to pay as much as £35million to secure his services.

Slavisa Jokanovic wants to add experience to his young squad and has identified the versatile captain as an option but the cash-strapped Spanish side will refuse to sell for less than his buy-out clause.

The 28-year-old, who plays in defence and midfield for the Spanish club, has drawn interest from other Premier League clubs including Everton this summer, but have been put off by the asking price.


Fulham have made enquiries for Espanyol captain David Lopez who has £35m release clause

Talks are ongoing with Newcastle over the purchase of £20m-rated Aleksandr Mitrovic while they are also preparing to dig their heels in over Ryan Sessegnon.

Fulham have also asked about Young Boys right-back Kevin Mbabu and bid £5.3m for Besiktas goalkeeper Fabri.

The Cottagers are ready to spend significant funds as they battle to re-establish themselves as a Premier League force following their promotion.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5977703/Fulham-face-having-pay-35m-David-Lopez.html


WhiteJC

 
Shahid Khan keen for Wembley to be a key player either side of the Atlantic

Mark Lamping, one of Khan's most trusted lieutenants, insists English football is sacrosanct at the national stadium and the huge interest in the NFL will be important to its future


Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, links arms with the players as the national anthem is sung before an NFL game. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images via Reuters

"There is absolutely nothing that has arisen since this entered the public domain that has been a surprise to us." On the basis Shahid Khan's £900m bid to purchase Wembley was the conclusion to years of planning, perhaps this is hardly revelatory stuff from Mark Lamping, one of the Pakistani-American billionaire's most trusted lieutenants. It is, however, important that such background work took place: Khan's ongoing attempt to remove English football's national stadium from the Football Association's ownership has triggered the necessary battling of widespread perception.

In London the vital public relations element relates to Wembley retaining historic status. There is another, significant challenge on the opposite side of the Atlantic. Khan's ownership of the Jacksonville Jaguars, plus the NFL team's now recurring fixtures at Wembley, fuelled the notion of a permanent switch.

Lamping, the Jaguars' president, has fought hard to douse such sentiment. "There certainly has been a percentage of our fans who were nervous about that," he admits. "If the fans would judge us based on what we have done versus the fear of what we could do, I don't think there would be a level of nervousness. But this is a very small market by NFL standards. The prior owner was not shy to point out that: 'If the community doesn't support the team, there is a high likelihood that the team would relocate.' At that time there was speculation about moving to Los Angeles.

"After Shahid bought the team, he made a commitment to do everything he could to make it financially stable here in Jacksonville. That's why London is so important. The fact we are playing one game a year at Wembley now, that we have other commercial interests in London and throughout the UK, has really made us stronger here in Jacksonville. I think most of our fans understand the role London plays."

Khan (right) did not become the 217th richest person in the world – he has a net worth reported at £5.2bn – on the basis of punts. If the concept of teams relocating to different cities – or countries – is alien to British sports fans, the bottom line renders it sensible in this case. Being blunt, Jacksonville does not pay.

"Here's where we are: Jacksonville is one of the smallest markets in the NFL. It has one of the smallest economies," adds Lamping. "If you are trying to compete with other NFL teams and doing that on the basis of generating revenue, it is a real challenge here and it has been for quite some time. The way we are trying to address that is finding new streams. London is part of that. The game we play in London is significantly more profitable than an average game in Jacksonville.

"If we manage Wembley properly and protect the image, protect all the things that are important to the people who love Wembley as it remains the home of English football forever, plus all other aspects of the business correctly, it should be a profitable investment. If we are successful with that – and, of course, we could also lose money – that helps us back here in Jacksonville.

"London strategically is really important to us and it's really important to Jacksonville that the Jaguars don't lose our position in London."

The nervousness to which the club president refers – Lamping is also a director of Fulham FC – is difficult to trace. Anecdotally there are suggestions within the Floridian city that the Jaguars would like more state assistance for developments around their stadium. Jacksonville's mayor, Lenny Curry, has been vocal about the NFL franchise's value to the city. He also claimed to be "incredibly excited" about the potential Wembley purchase.

Casey Ayers, a season ticket holder at the Jaguars, is similarly upbeat. "There's long been an aspiration in Jacksonville for the Jaguars to have the same kind of brand recognition as the Green Bay Packers, who similarly play in a small NFL market," he says. "Green Bay's recognition was in no small part built by playing a portion of their schedule for decades in the larger city of Milwaukee, growing their appeal beyond their small town's borders to become a more regional team.

"Many of us believe that playing an annual game in London is a grander, 21st-century equivalent of this tactic, allowing the team to grow its fan base well beyond traditional geographic limitations and to capture the hearts of new American football fans in London, the UK and the EU.

"Many of us believe that the NFL will not choose to place a permanent team in London but will instead offer something arguably even more interesting: a sampler pack of eight games, featuring alternating sets of 16 teams, with each team surrendering a home game once every four years."

As for now, who turns up? "The conventional wisdom is that it's a bunch of ex-pats," says Lamping. "The truth is the exact opposite; only 3% of the people who attend at Wembley are American ex-pats. Only about 35% are from London. So you have a high percentage of people who travel for more than 150 miles, with a significant portion of that coming from continental Europe. The game does well in terms of tourism and an economic impact from that."

Khan, who hails from Lahore, has a well-stated love for London. Beyond that there is a legitimate question as to why this city has been chosen as the NFL's auxiliary base, not least with political uncertainties in play.

"London is the NFL's international primary focus. It's a market they believe with appropriate amount of development over time could potentially be a city to host a full-time franchise," Lamping says. "Our role is twofold: to do everything we can to stabilise the Jaguars here in Jacksonville but also to support the NFL in terms of developing the London market, whether that ultimately accrues to the Jaguars or another team relocating there.

"I don't think today it could house a full-time team and I think that's also what the NFL also believes. But there has been significant growth and there continues to be in terms of the size of the fan base. If that growth continues? I don't think there is any question that, if the league and the member clubs want a franchise outside of the US, London would be ideal."

For now the Jacksonville insistence is on temporary habitation.



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/21/shahid-khan-wembley-mark-lamping-england-nfl

WhiteJC

 
Fabri will provide healthy competition for Fulham next season


Fulham are close to agreeing a £5million deal for Besiktas goalkeeper Fabri, according to The Sun.

What's the story?

The 30-year-old joined Besiktas in 2016 from Deportivo La Coruna and has gone on to make 66 appearances for the Turkish club in the Super Lig.

Fabri will become the Cottagers' third signing of the summer after Jean-Michel Seri and Maxime Le Marchand moved to Fulham from Nice.

Following the departure of David Button to Brighton, who made 20 appearances for Fulham last season, Fabri will provide competition to Marcus Bettinelli for the no.1 jersey.

More good news for Fulham fans

Following the magnificent signing of Seri, Fulham fans have another reason to be pleased with the transfer window with the shrewd acquisition of Fabri.

The goalkeeper has a lot of experience to offer and will provide a safe pair of hands to rival 26-year-old Bettinelli between the sticks.

It's unclear yet who will be Slavisa Jokanovic's no.1 next season but competition for places can only be a good thing as Fulham make the step up to the top flight.



https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/fulham/fabri-will-provide-healthy-competition-for-fulham-next-season

WhiteJC

 
Fulham should make a summer swoop for this £10.5m-rated Chelsea flop



Fulham will be hoping to take the Premier League by storm with their exciting brand of attacking football which took the Championship by storm last term.

The Cottagers, managed by Slavisa Jokanovic, will be hoping to use their already talented squad, mixed with some new signings, to make a big impact in the top flight and avoid any sort of scrap against relegation in the process.

However, there is little doubting new players will be needed to aid the likes of Ryan Sessegnon and Tom Cairney, and we here at the Transfer Tavern have been scouring the market looking for players we think might have an impact at Craven Cottage.

One player who has sprung to mind is Chelsea midfielder Marco Van Ginkel, who is remarkably still a Blues player, despite spending the majority of his time away from the club since arriving at the Bridge some five years ago.

However, the £10.5m-rated midfielder had a breakout campaign last season at PSV Eindhoven, and he contributed an impressive 14 goals for the Dutch side.

Still only 25, Van Ginkel clearly has plenty more to give despite his development already, and a move to a club like Fulham, who are looking to improve their squad, could well be a perfect switch.

It's unlikely that Van Ginkel will be afforded the chance to impress with Chelsea, but the Blues' loss should be Fulham's gain, and he would slot in nicely into the midfield alongside the likes of Cairney and the impressive Kevin McDonald.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/premier-league/fulham-should-make-a-summer-swoop-for-this-10-5m-rated-chelsea-flop/


WhiteJC

 
Rio Ave U19s 2-3 Fulham U18s

Fulham's Under-18s beat Rio Ave 3-2 in a tight match in Portugal on Saturday afternoon. Rio Ave scored early, but Fulham fired three on the bounce to take control of the match. Rio Ave scored late on to make it a tense finish as the Young Whites went on to win.

Rio Ave started the quicker of the two teams, five minutes into the match they went close but shot a warning wide of the mark.

10 minutes into the match and Rio Ave went ahead with their second attack of the match. The ball fell for the left winger at the edge of the area, he took it on the volley and fired at goal.

Tony Stahl dived to his left and made a block, but the rebound flew out to another Portuguese attacker who was able to react quickly and slot into the back of the net.


13 minutes in Harvey Elliott took a free kick 25-yards out. He crossed into the box and Timmy Abraham got a free and leapt for the ball, but miss timed his jump.

Fulham were able to get back on equal terms 25 minutes into the match. A corner was swung in by Fabio Carvalho but the ball was cleared, only as far as Elliott.

The right winger burst past his marker and at the edge of the box and was clipped whilst entering, earning his team a penalty after the referee conferred with the linesman.

Elliott took the spot kick himself, firing the ball past the left of the keeper and into the back of the net.

Eight minutes before halftime, Rio Ave attempted a shot from long distance, it dipped viciously and narrowly missed the top left corner.

At the start of the second half Zico Asare won a free kick on the right on the goal. Carvalho crossed to the back post to Connor McAvoy, he couldn't quite reach the ball. He had a similar chance later in the match.

Rio Ave countered with pace and Tony Stahl was called into action, parrying past his near post.

The Portuguese mounted another attack and Fulham were lucky to be on level terms, Trialist A blocked a shot off the line to keep the Young Whites level.


Fulham in the 58th minute put their noses ahead, a ball was played through the lines by Carvalho, and Trialist B raced through for a one on one with the 'keeper. He knocked it to his right and a defender closed him down.

From a tight angle he was able to squeeze a shot into the goal to make it 2-1 in Fulham's favour.

10 minutes after the goal, Ave went close to coming level. A corner was swept into the Young Whites' box and rolled across the goal mouth, neither team got a touch to the ball and it could have gone anywhere.

Fulham made sure of the win in the 73rd minute. Trialist C raced down the right wing and latched onto a through ball from Cameron Antwi. The 'keeper ran out and he fired bottom right to make it 3-1 to the Young Whites.

Rio Ave found a lifeline with three minutes left in the match. They won a free kick in the top right corner of the pitch, the ball was sent into the box and it took a deflection off Hilton and past Stahl to make it 3-2 in the tight match.

The match finished at that scoreline to earn another pre-season win for the Young Whites.

Fulham's Lineup: Stahl, McAvoy, Garrido (57' Armsworth), Trialist A, Asare, Carvalho (61' Hilton), Page (61' Antwi), Tahir, Elliott (61' Trialist C), Frei, Abraham (43' Trialist B).



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2018/july/21/rio-ave-u19s-2-3-fulham-u18s

WhiteJC

 
27 Y/O Celtic Defensive Ace On Lyon And Fulham's Radar: What Should Be Rodgers' Play Here?

Celtic have been dominating Scottish football under Brendan Rodgers and they will look to continue that in the upcoming season as well. For that, they will need to keep hold of their key players and add other reinforcements to their squad as Rangers have taken some massive strides in the transfer market.

Hoops defender Dedryck Boyata is currently being linked with a move to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon. Apart from them, there are other teams like Fulham who are in the hunt to sign the 27 year old Belgian. Boyata was part of Belgium's squad which finished third in the World Cup in Russia. Boyata played the initial games in the heart of the defence as Vincent Kompany was out due to injury and showed a lot of heart in each of his outings, attracting rave reviews from experts.

He was a crucial part of Rodgers' setup last campaign as he made 39 appearances in all competitions. Boyata is set to enter the final year of his contract at Celtic Park and the player is weighing up his options for the future. Lyon have shown an interest in him but are yet to formulate a bid for the player.

The Hoops had the best defensive record in Scottish football last season as they conceded just 25 goals throughout their campaign as Boyata played a crucial part in keeping it tight at the back. Their arch-rivals Rangers conceded exactly double that amount.

Celtic won the title on the canter last season as well and they have the distinction of winning the double treble. This was the seventh consecutive league win for the Bhoys and they don't look like stopping in the upcoming season. However, Boyata's departure will set them back as he is one of the most important defenders in the squad.

A move to Lyon or Fulham will be tempting as Boyata will like to establish himself in one of the tougher leagues of the world. He is often not seen in the same bracket as he plies his trade in Scottish football which is considered below par than the top 5 leagues of the world. And in the case of Lyon, he will also have much better opportunities to progress to the next round of the Champions League.

Rodgers is facing a tough transfer window as now two of his best defenders are being strongly linked with a move away from the club; Kieran Tierney being the other one. Boyata is set to enter in the final year of his contract and if he doesn't commit his long-term future at Celtic Park, then maybe selling him in this transfer period will be tempting for the Celtic gaffer as he wouldn't want to lose him for free next season.



https://the4thofficial.net/2018/07/27-y-o-celtic-defensive-ace-on-ligue-1-outfits-radar-what-should-be-rodgers-play-here/

WhiteJC

 
Fulham Makes An Offer For 30 Y/O European Ace: Will He Adjust Well To Life In The Premier League?


Having won promotion into the Premier League, Fulham are keen to make their stay in the English top tier a prolonged one. The club is aware that a lot of improvements have to be made within the squad if the Cottagers are to avoid an early exit back into the Championship.

ESPN FC is reporting that Premier League newcomers Fulham have made an offer in acquiring the services of Besiktas shot stopper Fabricio Ramirez, aka Fabri. The Super Lig team has turned their focus on Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina, should Fabri be tempted to take up a new challenge in England. The 30-year-old has 12 months outstanding on his current agreement with Besiktas and has not been offered an extension to his contract.

If the switch to London bears fruit, then current Fulham goalkeeping coach Jose Sambade will have a third reunion with the Spanish national. The pair has previously worked together at La Liga outfit Deportivo La Coruna and the goalkeeper's current club Besiktas.

Sambade and Fabri have a great relationship going on and the goalkeeping coach will be eager to team up once again with Fabri, having initially convinced the goalkeeper to join him during his tenure at Besiktas in 2016.



The only hurdle standing in the way of a switch to Fulham is the participation of the Turkish Club during European nights as the club is set to compete in next season's Europa League, having secured 4th place in the 2017-2018 Super Lig standings. Fabri might be tempted to stick on and try getting his hands on lifting the trophy, however, as it stands, the Turkish media reports Besiktas will allow the departure of their goalkeeper to Fulham.

According to earlier reports, Besiktas were holding out for €7m while Fulham made a bid around €4m for the permanent capture of Fabri by the London club. Adding a goalkeeper of Fabri's calibre will be a huge boost for Fulham as the Spanish citizen has played over 200 professional games with the various clubs he has been at. In the Fulham goal, he will add a new height in confidence to the minds of the defenders as they will be aware that a goalkeeper of his standards has their back to cover between the sticks.

Fulham have already completed the signings of Jean Michael Seri and Maxime Le Marchand from French club Nice. It will be a real show of positive outlook towards the upcoming Premier League season if they are to complete the capture of Fabri as well.



https://the4thofficial.net/2018/07/fulham-keen-to-bring-in-30-y-o-european-ace-will-he-adjust-well-to-life-in-the-premier-league/


WhiteJC

 
Fulham Keen On 22 Y/O English Fullback: A Shrewd Move In The Offing?


According to a recent report by Daily Record, Fulham are still pursuing Southampton left-back, Matt Targett. The Cottagers saw their bid of £5million get rejected by the Saints and have reportedly upped their bid to £8million to lure Targett to the Craven Cottage before the summer transfer window shuts down.

Fact File

Targett emerged through the youth ranks of Southampton and was eventually promoted to their senior side. He has represented England's Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 sides and during the second half of the previous term, he was sent out on loan to the ranks of Fulham. He helped the London based outfit earn promotion to the Premier League and no wonder Slavisa Jokanovic wants to sign him permanently.

Attributes

The 22-year-old is a modern-day full-back and has raw pace in his legs. He toils up and down the pitch to knit a fine balance between his defensive and offensive endeavours. He is an excellent crosser of the ball, maintains his composure more often than not and his well-built frame allows him to deal with the physical challenges that the English top flight has on offer.

He might not be very commendable in the air but he is an excellent reader of the game. Besides, he holds the ball well in the final third as he waits for the midfielders and attackers of his side to maraud forward. By no means is he a finished product but he is still young and his development trajectory should see an ascendancy in the coming seasons.

How Did He Fare Last Season?

He secured just 2 starts for Southampton and this season is unlikely to be vastly different if he stays on. In 21 appearances after his loan move to Fulham, Targett scored 1 goal and registered 2 assists. Moreover, he mustered 1.9 tackles, 1 interception, 2.9 clearances and 0.2 blocks per game on an average. He quickly acclimatized himself with the tactical nous of Jovanovic.

Why Fulham Need To Sign Him?

Jokanovic has brought just two new players in Jean Michael Seri and Maxime Le Marchand to his arsenal so far this summer. His troops are due to face the elite clubs in the country and someone like Targett should be an excellent signing for them. The English defender has a notable amount of top-flight experience under his belt, is well familiar with the way Fulham cater to their tasks and thus, signing him wouldn't involve a huge deal of risk.

Statistics Credits: WhoScored



http://madaboutepl.net/2018/07/fulham-keen-to-sign-southampton-left-back-matt-targett/

WhiteJC

 
Lyon hit Fulham for four

A clinical second-half performance saw Lyon put four past Fulham in the final match of their pre-season tour of France tonight at the Stade Pierre Rajon in Bourgoin. Slavisa Jokanovic's side held their own in the first 45 minutes but were swept away after half-time when the French side ran riot with a brace from Maxwell Terrier, a penalty converted by Mariano Diaz and a simple finish by substitute Maxwell Cornet.

The final result might have been harsh on the visitors, but it served as an important reminder of the step up in quality Fulham will have to prepare for as they get ready to return to the top flight next month. The majority of the goals arrived once Jokanovic had tinkered significantly with his strongest starting line-up of the summer, but the meticulous Serbian head coach will not be using that as an excuse. Some of Fulham's defending was naive, in stark contrast to the much more assured first-half display – where they limited their opponents to a couple of openings.

Lyon did enjoy the better of the first period, with former Manchester United winger Memphis Depay serving early notice of his speed in attack. Denis Odoi, playing at centre back once again, ensured an early run from the Dutchman come to nothing as Fulham weathered the French side's brisk start. Slavisa Jokanovic's side gradually got a foothold in the contest, playing patient possession football, and came close to opening the scoring themselves when Stefan Johansen burst onto a clever lay-off from Rui Fonte and rattled the side-netting with a low drive from twenty yards out. The Whites played most of their football on the counter-attack, with Fonte showing more of an aptitude for holding up the ball here that he had during most of his difficult re-introduction to English football last season.

Record signing Jean-Michael Seri made his long-awaited first start in Fulham colours and looked assured occupying a holding role in front of the Fulham defence. The former Nice midfielder snapped into several tackles – one a little too strongly for the referee, when he was harshly booked for challenging Ousseynou Ndiaye in a fifty-fifty on the left wing. Despite Lyon's dominance of the first period, Marcus Bettinelli was rarely called into action. The Fulham goalkeeper did make an excellent stop to prevent Bertrand Traore's precise curler from finding the bottom corner after clever approach play from Jordan Ferri and Ndiaye.

Lyon went close again in the dying embers of the first half. Ferri played Depay in behind the Fulham backline, but the winger's scruffy strike lacked the power to travel too far past Bettinelli into the net and Tim Ream arrived to hammer the ball after to safety. Jokanovic could consider himself content at half-time that the Whites had held their own against eye-catching opposition, who had finished third in Ligue 1 last season and recent arrival Maxime Le Marchand looked particularly composed at left back.

The French side changed their entire eleven at half-time, introducing the likes of Houssem Aouar, Lucas Tousart, Tanguy Ndombele and Maxwell Cornet. They should have gone in front merely moments after the restart when another substitute Martin Terrier somehow contrived to hit the base of the near post from three yards out and Ndombele slashed the rebound wastefully wide. Fulham carved out their best chance of the match when captain Tom Cairney sent Aboubakar Kamara in behind the Lyon defence with a clever through ball, but the French forward shot wildly into the crowd – injuring a spectator in the process.

Lyon began to move the ball at a much higher tempo and put the Fulham goal under a prolonged period of pressure. The opening goal arrived on 63 minutes, with more than a suspicion of offside about it, although the Whites only had themselves to blame for losing the ball in a dangerous area. Aouar took advantage of the Fulham defence's hesitation to saunter to the byline and sent over a low cross which Mariano Diaz failed to fully connect with, but Terrier was on hand at the back post to sweep home from close range.

Cyrus Christie was then replaced by Steven Sessegnon after sustaining a head injury following a hefty fall, but there was little respite for what was becoming an overworked Fulham defence. Lyon were awarded a penalty after Odoi was penalised for shirt-pulling at a free-kick and Mariano doubled Lyon's lead, blasting the spot-kick past Bettinelli. Four minutes later, it was three. The recently-introduced Moritz Jenz was horribly caught out when Cornet burst onto a forward ball on the right flank, outstripped him for pace and cleverly beat Bettinelli at his near post after giving the Fulham goalkeeper the eyes.

The French side's quality really began to tell in the closing stages as they kept the ball confidently and left a much-changed Fulham side chasing shadows. Terrier clincially grabbed his second with six minutes to play when he stole in front of Ibrahima Cisse to steer home an inviting cross from Kenny Tete, much to the dismay of an anguished Bettinelli, who had been afforded little protection for any of the Lyon goals. This was a sobering evening for Jokanovic's charges and a harsh way for Fulham's week in France to come to an end – but there will be plenty to work on as the pre-season preparations continue in the coming days.

OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS (4-2-3-1): Gorgelin (Racioppi 45); Dubois (Tete 45), Mendy (Rafael 45), Marcelo (Solet 45), Morel (Martins-Pereira 45); Caqueret (Tousart 45), Ferri (Ndombele 45), Cheikh (Aouar 45); Ndiaye (Terrier 45), Memphis (Cornet 45); Traoré (Mariano 45).

GOAL: Terrier (63, 84), Mariano (pen 74), Cornet (78).

FULHAM (4-3-3): Bettinelli; Christie (S. Sessegnon 69), Le Marchand (Kebano 45), Odoi (Jenz 74), Ream; Seri (McDonald 61), Johansen (O'Riley 74), Cairney (de la Torre 74); Kamara (Thorsteinsson 74), R. Sessegnon (Fossey 74), Fonte (Kait 74).

BOOKED: Seri. Johansen, Odoi.



http://hammyend.com/index.php/2018/07/lyon-hit-fulham-for-four/