Friends of Fulham

Villarreal fan explains what Fulham can explain from Samu Chukwueze after loan transfer
Fulham have snapped up a winger with big upside after putting together a flurry of late business on deadline day.

Fulham pulled off an impressive coup on transfer deadline, just beating the deadline to wrap up a deal for AC Milan winger Samu Chukwueze. arrives on a loan deal and an option to buy worth around £21.6million, and it's a statement signing for the Cottagers, especially given they also signed Chelsea talent Tyrique George.

Marco Silva was local about the lack of active recruitment during the summer transfer window, but the club chiefs ultimately pulled out their finger to get their boss some new weapons.

Chukwueze said upon arrival: "I'm so happy to be here. It's an amazing club. It feels like home, because I have my people around me. I feel at home already, and I can't wait to get started."

Chukwueze has been with Milan for the last two years, but he came through at Villarreal and represented the first team between 2018 and 2023, winning the Europa League along the way. For context, I live in Spain and have followed Villarreal for years. I've had a season ticket for the last four years, and I saw Chukwueze play on countless occasions. Here's what to expect from the winger.

What Fulham are getting from Chukwueze?
Speed and lightening feet. Let's start with the positives. Chukwueze has unbelievable pace, and it's the main reason he was courted by clubs aplenty around Europe early in his career. He burst onto the scene at Villarreal and he was one of those players fans were looking forward to breaking through after plenty of clips of him impressing with the B team and youth ranks.

He is likely to win pretty much any race out wide, and he has quick feet to match, able to dance his way out of a phone box. That agility and footwork saw him impress against top opponents aplenty in La Liga, and he also played a starring role in both the Europa League-winning season and subsequent the season that saw the Yellow Submarine reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

In fact, his best moment in a Villarreal shirt came off the bench to put Bayern Munich to bed with a breakaway goal in the Champions League quarter-finals during that season. Personally speaking, I loved watching Chukwueze play because, quite frankly, you never knew what he would do next, and his fast-twitch ability meant he could beat a player even when you didn't think there was enough space to do anything.

What are the downsides?
As with any high-level winger that has an option to buy worth only £21.6million, there are some downsides. At AC Milan, Chukwueze has struggled to displace the likes of Christian Pulisic, who has been very good, and injuries have not helped. As with any player who relied on speed, the winger is prone to hamstring injuries, and he has had three in the last two season.

In terms of his playing ability, it's far to say Chukwueze is not always consistent with his final ball, another common trait for speedy wingers. He can produce a good finish and a good cross, too, but don't expect Vinicius Jr or Lamine Yamal-level final product. That inconsistency is what stopped him going to the heights he was once tipped for. As a youngster, Chukwueze was backed by many to be a world-beater.

Other than that, the main weakness I would point out is his defensive ability, something that did leave Unai Emery frustrated at times. Emery is defence-first, and that saw Chukwueze brought in and out at times. Marco Silva will have similar qualms if the Nigeria international cannot adapt defensively, and there will an added physical element in the Premier League. In fact, I would go as far as to predict, if the winger does not see regular starts at Fulham, it will be because of his defensive issues.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/villarreal-fulham-expect-samu-chukwueze-5298101

Willian finds a new club – Fulham favourite secures new side as free agent
Brazilian outlet GZH reports Grêmio are on the verge of announcing the signing of Willian, the former Chelsea, Arsenal and Fulham midfielder.

The 37-year-old is currently a free agent after leaving Craven Cottage in June and has agreed terms with the Porto Alegre side, with only medicals and paperwork left.

According to local journalist Kaliel Dorneles, the deal is already sealed between the parties, and the official confirmation should arrive shortly.

GZH add that while talks with Willian were not recent, negotiations accelerated in the past few days after the player signalled his willingness to return to Brazil.

Since he was unattached, Grêmio were not obliged to register him before the closure of the international transfer window on Tuesday, but the club are still expected to move quickly to formalise the contract.

In Porto Alegre, he will now form a Fulham reunion, as striker Carlos Vinícius, who also played for the London side, is already part of the squad.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/willian-finds-a-new-club-fulham-favourite-secures-new-side-as-free-agent/

'Crazy turnaround' as player to join Fulham outside transfer window – Travelling to London
On Monday, Sky Deutschland reported Fulham are in contention with Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven to sign Bayern Munich's Jonah Kusi-Asare.

Later that day, claims from Germany reported Fulham are in line to complete the 18-year-old's signing on deadline day. The summer window has closed but Marco Silva's side have not managed to complete this operation.

There were several reports in the German and the British press on why the Fulham move didn't go through.

Sky Deutschland journalist Kerry Hau took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to report that a 'crazy turnaround' leads to the striker joining the Premier League club outside the transfer window.

There were concerns over paperwork related to the operation. Despite this, the journalist reports the Premier League gave green light for Kusi-Asare to join Fulham, after holding talks with the London club.

Kusi-Asare's contract at Bayern Munich expires in 2026 and he's set to extend it before moving to Fulham. According to Hau, the English club will sign him on €4m loan with an option to buy, and the Bundesliga winners have secured a buyback option.

In another post on X, the Sky Deutschland reporter explains the Swede is travelling to London on Tuesday morning to complete to his move to Fulham.

Expressen in Sweden are also reporting the Premier League approved Kusi-Asare's move to Fulham. The attacker is on his way to join Marco Silva's side on loan with an option to buy.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/crazy-turnaround-as-player-to-join-fulham-outside-transfer-window-travelling-to-london/

Kusi-Asare loan approved by Premier League?
Various reports overnight claim that the Premier League have approved Fulham's deal to sign Bayern Munich striker Jonah Kusi-Asare on a season-long loan.

Kerry Hau and Peter Rutzler suggest that the deal has actually gone through despite an issue with the paperwork. Hau says that the teenage forward, currently in Sweden, will travel to London this morning and then an announcement will be made. Rutzler also reports that Fulham will now have an option to sign the eighteen year-old on a permanent basis should be the loan be successful.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2025/09/kusi-asare-loan-approved-by-premier-league/

Ian Hart: The Fulham and Burnley VAR decisions shows there is a still a football hierarchy
So three games in, hitting the first 'International break', Albion find themselves mid-table, with the classic symmetrical record of one win, one loss, one draw.

It actually could have been three out of three, they should have finished off Fulham long before they equalised, they should have finished our chances at Everton but Sunday's victory against Man City has the Albion faithful chomping at the bit for the visit to Bournemouth when the EPL restarts the weekend after next.

Yet only three weeks in the campaign the spectre of VAR has once again reared up.

Within a few hours on Saturday both Fulham and Burnley learnt the harsh realities of the perceived EPL 'pecking order'.

VAR scrubbed out a perfectly good Fulham goal at Stamford Bridge, effectively changing the course of the West London Derby, whilst up at Old Trafford later in the afternoon, Burnley themselves had a goal chalked out by the 'state of the art technology' before Manchester United, quelle surprise, were awarded a 97 minute penalty enabling them to record their first win of the campaign.

We've all watched top flight football long enough to realise that however much some might deny, there is still a football hierarchy, and unfortunately at the weekend both Fulham and Burnley were the clubs for this week who were on the wrong side of it.

None of us could say in the same set of circumstances, but ultimately reversed, would Chelsea have had that goal ruled out or would Burnley have been awarded a last minute penalty?

But most football fans have got a pretty good idea.

Without Referees at any level, we wouldn't have a game, and at no point am I alleging any kind of corruption, but because of their standing in the game there will always appear to be almost this unconscious bias towards the 'bigger clubs'.

Without Referees at any level, we wouldn't have a game, and at no point am I alleging any kind of corruption, but because of their standing in the game there will always appear to be almost this unconscious bias towards the 'bigger clubs'.

And frankly something that drastic would almost be tantamount to an admission of guilt, life isn't perfect and football's no different, we all just have to get on with it.

But perhaps remembering the words of Ron Atkinson in that all we can do is hope that these things do level out over the course of the season, but that won't be much comfort for the respective fans of Fulham or Burnley if either of them get relegated by a point in May!



https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/sport/football/ian-hart-the-fulham-and-burnley-var-decisions-shows-there-is-a-still-a-football-hierarchy-5298422

Leeds point the finger of blame at Fulham for deadline day faliure
Leeds point the finger of blame at Fulham for reneging on Wilson deal

Leeds United's deadline day pursuit of Fulham's versatile attacking midfielder Harry Wilson culminated in a dramatic collapse, leaving the Elland Road hierarchy pointing the finger at Fulham for allegedly reneging on the deal at the eleventh hour. The most striking image of this failed transfer saga unfolded in the skies, as a plane carrying Wilson, having departed Staverton Airport, abruptly aborted its flight and returned to Gloucester, leaving flight trackers and fans utterly bewildered.

Fulham offer a completely different narrative, insisting they had informed Leeds from the outset that Wilson was not for sale. They point to Leeds' initial approach for a season-long loan, a move deemed highly improbable given Wilson had only 12 months remaining on his contract. Despite the Cottagers firm denials, various media outlets had, throughout the day, suggested they would indeed be prepared to sanction a permanent deal for Wilson, contingent on securing their own transfer targets.

Fulham ultimately landed all three deadline day signings and, according to multiple reports across the press, even agreed a fee for Wilson, making their alleged eleventh-hour withdrawal, or their earlier firm stance somewhat deceitful. The precise sequence of events and the true nature of negotiations between the two clubs remain shrouded in conflicting accounts.

Widespread anger among Leeds fans as recruitment job left unfinished
Deadline day became a catalyst for widespread anger and despair among the Elland Road faithful as the transfer window slammed shut without any new arrivals. Social media became toxic with incensed reactions from supporters, frustrated by the club's failure to secure the attacking reinforcements manager Daniel Farke had so vehemently called for.

Despite an overhaul that saw ten new players arrive at Elland Road this summer, the prevailing sentiment among fans is one of disappointment, particularly concerning the final third. Farke himself had issued a stark warning over the weekend, cautioning that without additional attacking quality, the Whites could find themselves staring down the barrel of an immediate return to the Championship.

The frustration runs deeper than just the lack of final-day signings; it's a critique of the Leeds hierarchy's overall transfer strategy. Many fans feel that despite the numerous additions, the crucial areas of attack were left perilously short in both numbers and quality. Rumours of financial constraints were rife, perhaps in a bid to quelle expectation.

The Whites have only recouped £8 million from player sales, but have failed to secure loan fees for failed to secure loan fee's for five of their six temporary departures. According to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, only Max Wober secured a monitory fee, and that was a mere £1m.

While there are few complaints about the calibre of players Leeds have managed to bring in, the glaring omission in attack casts a long, ominous shadow. When supporters cast their eyes towards other clubs languishing at the wrong end of the Premier League table, and compare, it's difficult to see an escape route

Have the 49ers inadvertently set the stage for a season-long battle against relegation? The once-optimistic spirit of a new Premier League campaign has, for many Leeds fans, unequivocally curdled into anxiety and indignation.



https://motforum.com/news/48403/leeds-point-the-finger-of-blame-at-fulham-for-dealine-dat-faliure/

Everything Samuel Chukwueze said on Silva, Iwobi and Bassey after joining Fulham
Super Eagles attacker Samuel Chukwueze has opened up on the factors that convinced him to swap AC Milan for Fulham, Soccernet.ng reports.

The former Villarreal forward singled out Fulham manager Marco Silva as well as the presence of his international teammates Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey as key reasons behind his decision.

Chukwueze completed a deadline-day loan switch from AC Milan to Craven Cottage, with an option to buy at the end of the season.

Samuel Chukwueze on Silva's Persuasion
Speaking after sealing the move, Chukwueze revealed that Silva's personal approach played a decisive role in bringing him to West London.

    "He was the one who called me, he was the one who convinced me, who showed me the tactics and all," Chukwueze told Fulham FC TV. "He called me and made sure this is how they are going to see to my pattern and he assured me about everything. So, assuring me convinced me to be here. He is a nice coach, and I think his style of play suits me very well. Him talking to me for hours shows he actually needs me in the team."

Surrounded by Friends at Fulham
Beyond the manager's influence, Chukwueze admitted that having close friends and compatriots at the club also made the transition easier.

    "I am so happy to be here. I have my friends (Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi) around, so I think it's an amazing club. It feels like home, I have my people around me, so I feel at home already and I can't wait to get started," he said.

Reunion with Iwobi and Bassey
On reuniting with Iwobi and Bassey on the pitch, the winger added:

    "I can't wait to see them, I can't wait to play with them in this great club. They are fun to be with, they are great and professional at what they do. So, having them around me, I think it's going to help me a lot."

Premier League Dream
The 26-year-old, who has previously played in Spain with Villarreal and in Italy with Milan, described the Premier League as the ultimate destination for any footballer.

    "For me, I think I can't wait to get started. It's everyone's dream to play in the Premier League. Every player wants to play in the Premier League. It is one of the best leagues in the whole world. For now, I am trying to settle and trying hard to get the rhythm and do what I know how to do best."

Chukwueze could make his debut for Fulham after the international break, with Silva eager to integrate the Nigerian into his plans as quickly as possible.



https://soccernet.ng/2025/09/samuel-chukwueze-on-silva-fulham.html

Chukwueze makes Fulham loan switch
Fulham manager Marco Silva has bolstered his attacking options with the signing of Samuel Chukwueze on a season-long loan from AC Milan in the final hours of the transfer window.

The Nigeria international joins team-mates Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi at Craven Cottage after struggling to make an impact with the Rossoneri.

Chukwueze scored just one goal for Milan in 2023-24 following his arrival from Villarreal and he added another three last term, but didn't start a single game since January.

The 26-year-old winger brings valuable European experience to Silva's side after featuring in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League for the Italian giants.

"I'm so happy to be here. It's an amazing club. It feels like home, because I have my people around me. I feel at home already, and I can't wait to get started," Chukwueze told the club's official website.

Fulham Sporting Director Tony Khan added: "I'm thrilled to welcome Samuel Chukwueze to Fulham! He is an explosive athlete and tremendous talent, who has gained valuable playing experience in Europe with Milan and in international competition for Nigeria.

"He is joining us on a season-long loan with a permanent option, and we are very excited to have him at the Club!"



https://africanfootball.com///africanfootball.com/news/830131/Chukwueze-makes-Fulham-loan-switch

Premier League grant special permission for Fulham to sign 6ft5" striker today
Fulham did not beat the deadline, but it won't matter due to some special permission from league bosses.

In a strange twist of events, it now seems as though Fulham could complete another transfer long after the summer transfer window closed at 7pm on Monday. The Cottagers were slow off the mark in the window, but they ended it with a surge of business, including some big spending.

Kevin joined on a £34million deal from Shakhtar Donetsk and Samu Chukwueze was snapped up from AC Milan on a loan deal with an option to buy worth a little over £21million.

Marco Silva will be pleased with the late signings, although they were the only two real starting-calibre players signed, with the Cottagers missing out on Chelsea's Tyrique George late in the day. There could be another deal wrapped up, though, with the Premier League offering a strange exception that could see Fulham land another player on loan.

According to Sky Deutschland journalist Kerry Hau, Bayern Munich's Jonah Kusi-Asare is said to be on his way to London today to complete a loan move with an option to buy that would include a buy-back option. Kusi-Asare's Bayern contract is set to expire next summer, but he has reportedly agreed a new deal before making the move.

It's not often the Premier League grants such long extensions, with deal sheets only offering two-hour extensions. But with Fulham having been locked in discussions yesterday and with the player coming from outside of England, it seems they have seen fit to grant Fulham grace.

The 18-year-old forward has made two league appearances for Bayern so far after joining in 2024, making 13 league appearances for the B team and scoring twice. He is a four-time Sweden under-21s international. He stands at a whopping 6ft5".

The announcement from Fulham is expected on Tuesday, and it will be interesting to see if Kusu-Asari gets opportunities in the near future.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/premier-league-grant-fulham-permission-5298657

Kusi-Asare arrives on loan


The Club is delighted to announce the signing of Jonah Kusi-Asare.

The 18-year-old forward joins on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, with the Club holding the option to make the move permanent.

After signing, Kusi-Asare said: "I'm really excited to join Fulham. It's a fantastic club with great supporters, and I can't wait to get started, work with my teammates and give everything for the Club."

Tony Khan added: "I'm thrilled to welcome Jonah Kusi-Asare to Fulham. He is a talented young striker, we're excited that he's joining our team on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, and we're very happy that this deal includes a Club option to bring Jonah on a permanent transfer!

"Come on Fulham!"

An imposing striker, Kusi-Asare stands at 6'5", despite only turning 18 in July, but is more than comfortable with the ball at his feet.

He became the youngest player to play in the Swedish top flight when at AIK, featuring shortly after his 16th birthday in 2023.

In February 2024, he earned his move to Bayern and made his Bundesliga debut as a substitute for Harry Kane this April.

He has represented Sweden at various youth levels, most recently winning four caps for the Under-21s, who he will be meeting up with this international period.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/september/02/kusi-asare-arrives-on-loan/

30% Chelsea clause saw transfer collapse – Fulham may have felt the same
After a move to AS Roma didn't go through, Chelsea's Tyrique George seemed on his way to Fulham in a deadline day move away from Stamford Bridge.

That transfer also fell through at the end, as the youngster is now expected to be registered for the Blules' Champions League squad.

Today's Gazzetta dello Sport gives some indication for what could have gone wrong for Fulham and others trying to sign the player as the window closed.

They note that Roma spoke with Chelsea this week about signing the player and decided demands from the Blues were unreasonable. According to Gazzetta, Chelsea were asking for a 30% sell-on fee.

This prompted the Roma ownership to inform Chelsea that 'nothing will happen', handing Fulham a chance to sign the 19-year-old winger.

It is unclear whether there were similar doubts at Craven Cottage about the 30% resale fee demand but reports in England claimed that the Blues were keen on inserting a clause in the deal.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/30-chelsea-clause-saw-transfer-collapse-fulham-may-have-felt-the-same/

Jonah Kusi-Asare: Fulham loan Bayern Munich youngster to in third Deadline Day deal
Cottagers hold an option to buy on Swedish prospect

Fulham have announced the signing of 18-year-old forward Jonah Kusi-Asare on loan from Bayern Munich.

The club hold the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.

Kusi-Asare, who made his Bundesliga debut in April, becomes Fulham's third Deadline Day signing.

The Swedish youth international is currently on duty with the country's Under-21 squad despite only turning 18 in July.

At six feet five inches, Kusi-Asare is an imposing presence but is just as comfortable with the ball at his feet.

The striker is expected to be a permanent member of the first team squad this season.

"I am really excited to join Fulham. It is a fantastic club with great supporters, and I can't wait to get started, work with my teammates, and give everything for the club," Kusi-Asare said.

Fulham CEO Tony Khan added: "I am thrilled to welcome Jonah Kusi-Asare to Fulham. He is a talented young striker, we are excited that he is joining our team on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, and we are very happy that this deal includes an option to bring Jonah in on a permanent transfer."

Kusi-Asare became the youngest player to play in the Swedish top flight when he featured for AIK shortly after his 16th birthday in 2023.

The youngster will add depth to Fulham's frontline, adding to the arrivals of Kevin and Samuel Chukwueze, who also completed Deadline Day moves to west London.

Fulham have endured a difficult summer and were busy right up until Monday's deadline trying to secure deals.

Silva will be glad to have three new players to bolster his attacking ranks, though there will be disappointment that the club were unable to get a deal over the line for Chelsea winger Tyrique George after agreeing a £22million fee for the forward.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/kusi-asare-fulham-fc-bayern-loan-deadline-day-b1245566.html

Fulham announce signing of Kusi-Asare
Fulham have announced the signing of forward Jonah Kusi-Asare on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich.

The deal was done ahead of Monday's transfer deadline and includes an option for the 18-year-old Sweden Under-21 international's move to be made permanent.

"I'm really excited," Kusi-Aare said.

"It's a fantastic club with great supporters and I can't wait to get started, work with my team-mates and give everything for the club."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-announce-signing-of-kusi-asare

The transfer window: progress made but no lessons learned
As the door slams shut, Dan Cooke reviews our transfer activity.

As is tradition, deadline day was chaos at Motspur Park. One would have thought that a 7pm deadline would have saved us from desperately refreshing our social media feeds at midnight - wrong. At time of writing we're still awaiting confirmation of a signing, which is incredibly impressive.

So, how do I feel about our transfer window? I have no idea.

Let's start with the positives. New contracts for a host of key players, either due to their first team status or their future potential. Kenny Tete has already demonstrated his importance so far this season and to an extent, so has Tom Cairney with his silky smooth performance in the Carabao Cup. Josh King has been man of the match in two of our first three games and I'm rapidly running out of words to describe how good he is; renewing his contract and trusting him in the starting XI has been just as good as a new signing. Then there's Seth Ridgeon, a potential generational talent who we very nearly lost for pittance. Time will tell how important that new contract was, but early signs suggest he could be the best we've ever produced at Motspur Park.

Keeping Rodrigo Muniz was essential and I'm relieved that we managed to win that battle. I'm not averse to cashing in on players when a good offer comes in but the timing of the departure and the need for reinforcements elsewhere would have made this a catastrophic deal. Having seen other clubs like us lose these battles this summer, Fulham have done well to stand firm against Atalanta's approaches.

Benjamin Lecomte was a very sensible deal. An experienced and competent backup goalkeeper who gives us a bit more assurance than Steven Benda did last season. It's also produced a great opportunity for Benda to get some first team minutes in the Championship and a man of the match display early on this season for Millwall is a promising sign of it being a good move for him and us.

Then there's our deadline day wingers; Samuel Chukwueze and Kevin. Exactly the sort of players we were desperate for last season. They're direct, creative, exciting wide men, who I'm really expecting to give a vibrancy to our front line. I think there is big risk in the Kevin deal but as profile of player goes, the recruitment department and Marco have got this spot on. We now have a lovely balance of control and diligence from players like Alex Iwobi, Snith Rowe and Harry Wilson complemented with some unpredictability from our two new boys. Spot on.

Whilst writing this Kusi-Asare has officially been announced as a Fulham player. An unknown quantity, but on the face of it, a smart deal. A loan with an option to buy for a young striker, who will be earmarked to take over from Raul in what I presume is his last season at the club. At best it could be fantastic progression planning. At worst he's not very good and we send him back to Germany. A deal that came out of nowhere and feels quite strange, but I'm definitely not mad at it.

However, then there's the negatives. I cannot ignore, and certainly can't condone, the way we have operated in this window. Marco Silva put out an edict for ambition ahead of this summer. In my opinion, that's not happened. Yes, we did break our transfer record for the second season in a row, that's significant. Despite this, we are too chaotic and too inconsistent in the way that we handle transfer windows. We operate like a club that has a part-time Director of Football. I frankly don't care what you think, that is insane for a Premier League club that is trying to reach new heights.

There are two things that irk me most. Firstly, it's the insistence on late deals providing value for money and therefore being the best way to do business. That's bollocks. I'm not saying it's totally untrue that you can make savings by leaving it late but it is also ignoring all of the other important, qualitative benefits that you get from getting your house in order early. According to the reports we saw at the start of August, Shakhtar wanted €50m for Kevin.

(https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZreJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb2fb8040-2f12-463c-8d53-9812f8c09efa_902x1624.png)

Based on this, we've saved something like €5m. Was that worth the stress? Was that worth denying Marco an additional month of preparation to get Kevin embedded into this side? Was that worth the extra attention it ended up getting meaning we couldn't focus on other deals? Personally, it's a resounding no to all of those questions. I actually think the time it took to secure the Chukwueze deal was an even more damning example of how much of a shambles we can be behind the scenes. We tried to sign him in January, how did it take us until September to actually make it happen?

We've seen it repeatedly and I'm fed up of defending our players with the phrase "I think we'll see the best of them next year, once they've had a full pre-season". This total refusal to learn our lessons is guaranteed to cost us dearly at some point.

The second issue I have is not giving one of our best managers ever the tools that he specifically wants to achieve our incredibly ambitious goals. Where's our central midfield depth? Before Andreas left we needed either a deputy or a different profile of player for our double pivot of Lukic and Berge if we wanted to improve on last season. Now that Andreas has left, I'm baffled as to why we didn't even appear close to signing someone for that role. It stings even more to see players like Dewsbury-Hall, who was unfortunately available before Fulham's personal transfer window started, hit the ground running at Everton.

I understand that Alex Iwobi could be utilised in a more central role, it's actually something that I called for, but it's a hell of a risk. What happens if Lukic or Berge go down for an extended period of time? Iwobi might not be the solution and as much as I love Tom Cairney and Harrison Reed, we won't achieve our lofty targets if they're starting a substantial number of games this season.

The biggest problem that this leads to is that Marco Silva will walk at the end of this season. Now you can argue that it's a bit of a catch 22 - we don't want to sign players for a manager who might not be here next year, but he won't be here unless we sign players. Expertly, we've picked the third option of signing players in a way that has pissed him off so much that he will leave anyway.

Barring that lack of midfield depth, I think this squad looks fantastic. We've got a superb balance of experience and exciting youngsters, as well as great combination of reliability and mercurial talents. It has got to be right up there with the best Fulham squad, on paper, that I've seen in my lifetime. I have to be happy with that. Without any of the dirty context, this has been a transfer window that I would probably give upwards of an eight out of ten.

However, I really thought this summer was a golden opportunity. Learn your lessons, back your manager, bask in the glory of being the best Fulham side ever. Instead, we've witnessed the same old circus that we inexplicably allow to happen. Tony Khan insisting on being the main character, receiving the plaudits despite his haphazard and negligent approach to being our Director of Football.

I passionately support Marco Silva and this squad but I cannot support how we do our business. We deserve far better.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/the-transfer-window-progress-made

"Fulham" signed Kevin from Donetsk "Shakhtar" for 40 million euros
"Fulham" signed Kevin from "Shakhtar" for a club-record fee. The Brazilian winger stated that he is happy to play in the "highest" league in the world - in England.

English football club from London, Fulham, has officially signed 22-year-old Brazilian winger from Shakhtar Donetsk. The contract signing was preceded by a record transfer of 40 million euros. This is reported by UNN with reference to Fulham FC.

Details
English club Fulham has completed a club-record deal to acquire Shakhtar winger Kevin. The 22-year-old Brazilian signed a five-year contract with the Cottagers until summer 2030 with an option to extend for another year. The transfer fee is £34.6 million, or about €40 million, plus a percentage of the Brazilian player's future transfer.

In almost 60 matches for Shakhtar, in all competitions, Kevin scored 17 goals.

Regarding his move to the English Premier League, Kevin commented:

    I am happy to play in the highest league in the world, and in such a huge club. I am very flattered by everything that is happening in my life, and I hope to score many goals this season and do a great job here at Fulham.
    - said the Brazilian footballer.

Addition

Fulham also acquired Samuel Chukwueze from Milan. This is a loan until the end of the season. Chukwueze's deal also includes a buy option.

Recall
Dynamo Kyiv forward Vladyslav Vanat, the top scorer of the UPL for two seasons, has moved to the Spanish football club Girona.



https://unn.ua/en/news/fulham-signed-kevin-from-donetsk-shakhtar-for-40-million-euros

Official: Bayern Munich announce loan of Jonah Kusi-Asare to Fulham
Bayern Munich is counting on Fulham to develop the striker...

The reports from late in the transfer window were true — Bayern Munich and Fulham had found a way to work out a loan deal for Jonah Kusi-Asare. Bayern Munich announced the move on its website:

    FC Bayern have extended Jonah Kusi-Asare's contract and are loaning the 18-year-old to English Premier League club Fulham until the end of the season. The Sweden U21 international moved to the FC Bayern Campus at the beginning of 2024.

    After leaving his boyhood club AIK Solna, where he made his professional debut at the age of 16, the 1.96-metre-tall striker initially gained match practice in the U19s and put himself forward for the first team thanks to impressive performances with the U23s, making his senior debut in April's 3-0 win against Mainz. He also came on as a substitute again in the 6-0 win over RB Leipzig at the start of the new Bundesliga season. He has so far earned three caps for Sweden's U21s.

Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund think the move will be beneficial for Kusi-Asare.

"Jonah has developed very well with us over the past year and a half and was able to make his professional debut in his first full season in Munich. He has outstanding potential and should now gain further valuable experience at the highest European level. We will be closely monitoring him and are convinced that he will take the next steps in his development and continue to mature at Fulham," said Freund.



https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/transfer-rumors/135226/official-bayern-munich-announced-loan-of-jonah-kusi-asare-to-fulham

Club were 'loud and clear' when Fulham made late transfer move – 'Substantial fee' not enough
Fulham saw a late transfer window attempt to sign Feyenoord midfielder In-Beom Hwang rejected by the Dutch club.

That's according to Voetbal International, via Soccer News, who say Fulham were immediately shown the door by Feyenoord when they made their move for the 28-year-old.

The newspaper reports that Fulham tried to lure the midfielder to Craven Cottage at the end of the summer window and were willing to offer a 'substantial fee' to do so.

The South Korean, though, was blocked from departing. "Feyenoord is loud and clear: In-Beom Hwang will not be allowed to leave," Voetbal International are quoted as saying.

They considered the midfielder as too important for Robin van Persie's plans and one of the most important link players in his system. He had three goals and two assists in 21 games in the Eredivisie last season.

They therefore sent a 'loud and clear' message to Fulham that the midfielder was not for sale, particularly late in the transfer window, and sent Marco Silva's side packing.

They eventually spent their money strengthening elsewhere, but it'll be interesting to see if In-Beom Hwang is a name they look at again in future, perhaps in the January transfer window.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/club-were-loud-and-clear-when-fulham-made-late-transfer-move-substantial-fee-not-enough/

17 free agents West Ham, Crystal Palace and Fulham can still sign with transfer window slammed shut
Some big-name players remain on the market with the transfer window now shut

The transfer window has shut for the summer but that does not mean Premier League clubs cannot still alter their squads with the new season more than underway.

Some leagues around Europe and beyond have their transfer windows still open for business, meaning exits are still possible, while a useful medium for securing last-minute buys could be through the free agent market.

A player can part ways with a club for free for several reasons, often out of their control, and in the right environment there are several real gems to be found who are currently still seeking new employers. A free agent can sometimes be the difference to avoid an injury crisis, plug a gap and find a new lease of life or score a crucial goal to help a side achieve their biggest aspirations.

Transfermarkt have compiled a list of players who are still currently without a club and we have selected some of the best who could still be targeted by Premier League sides around London.

West Ham, Fulham and Crystal Palace could all do with some extra bodies to help bolster their respective goals this season. Palace have European football to contend with while Marco Silva has expressed dissatisfaction with Fulham's business despite some signings late in the window. For West Ham, if any free agents can help improve their ranks - they must take a look at them.

17 of the best free agent signings on the market
Takehiro Tomiyasu: The most high-value free agent on the market at €18million, 26-year-old Japan international Tomiyasu had his contract terminated at Arsenal after multiple long-term injury issues. Expected to return from knee surgery next month, he could be a smart pick-up to elevate the defensive options of several Premier League sides.

Josh Brownhill: In a surprising turn of events, Brownhill departed Burnley in the summer after failing to agree a new contract despite being the club's top scorer with 18 league goals in their Championship promotion-winning campaign last term. At 29 he is in the peak years of his career and could believe he has what it takes to succeed in the top flight, having expressed his desire for a new challenge on departing Turf Moor.

Kurt Zouma: Recently out of contract at West Ham United after spending last season out on loan in the Saudi Pro League, Zouma has a wealth of Premier League experience with 181 appearances in the competition under his belt.

Michail Antonio: Released by West Ham this summer after recovering from a traumatic car crash, Antonio is a Hammers legend who has scored 68 Premier League goals and will offer a wealth of experience wherever he ends up next.

Sergio Reguilon: The 28-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur full-back has recently spent time on loan at Manchester United, Brentford and Atletico Madrid before Spurs ultimately released him this summer.

Josh Dasilva: Midfielder Dasilva made 48 Premier League appearances for Brentford but has struggled with injuries and was let go by the club this summer. Fulham have previously been linked with the 26-year-old free agent.

Kelechi Iheanacho: The former Leicester City and Sevilla striker has been linked with Celtic but there is still time to hijack a deal for the Nigeria international, who has 42 Premier League goals to his name.

Hakim Zieych: Former Chelsea and Ajax wizard Ziyech is now without a club after recent spells in Turkey and Qatar. The 32-year-old was a Champions League winner with the Blues.

Christian Eriksen: At 33, Eriksen is one of the most experienced players on this list, but he was still playing regularly for an admittedly-poor Man United side last season before his release this summer. The Denmark international made an impact at Brentford after a shock move in 2022 and could yet have that sort of influence again.

More players who are available as free agents
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: 'The Ox' is a Premier League winner with Liverpool but is now a free agent after a most recent spell with Besiktas. He is reportedly attracting interest from the likes of Birmingham and Leeds.

Paco Alcacer: 32-year-old former Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund striker Alcacer is without a club this summer after his recent departure from Sharjah in the UAE.

Rick Karsdorp: 30-year-old right-back Karsdorp has previously played for Feyenoord, Roma and PSV Eindhoven but is now available for nothing after departing PSV.

Karl Toko Ekambi: The 32-year-old striker has previously starred for the likes of Villarreal and Lyon. He has been touted for a sensational move to Arsenal by The Express.

Other players who are without a club as the window closes include Daler Kuzyaev, Sasa Djalar, Emmanuel Dennis and Jamal Lewis.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/west-ham/17-free-agents-west-ham-crystal-palace-fulham-can-sign-transfer-window-slammed-shut-5299098

Official | Bayern Munich loan Jonah Kusi-Asare out to Fulham with purchase and buyback options

Bayern Munich – despite some bureaucratic snags – were able to get Jonah Kusi-Asare's loan to Fulham over the line last night. The 18-year-old heads to Craven Cottage on a one-year-loan-deal that does contain a purchase option. Kicker and others report that the Bundesliga record champions have secured a buyback clause as well in the event that the London-based-outfit pulls the purchase clause.

Kusi-Asare rose to prominence with the German giants after turning in an excellent training camp this summer. The loan out to Fulham was preceded by a contract extension for the teenage talent; one that enabled the Swedish international to receive a pay raise in addition to ensuring that all the clauses could be built into the new working papers.

"Jonah has developed very well with us over the past year-and-a-half," Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund noted in a club statement. "He has outstanding potential and will now gain further valuable experience at the highest European level. We will closely monitor his progress and are convinced that he will take the next steps in his development at Fulham."



https://www.getfootballnewsgermany.com/2025/official-bayern-munich-loan-jonah-kusi-asare-out-to-fulham-with-purchase-and-buyback-options/

Former Fulham Star Agrees Brazil Switch
Former Fulham star Willian has reached a verbal agreement to head back to Brazil with Gremio on an 18-month deal.

The experienced attacker finished his contract at Fulham at the end of last season, but he was keen on potentially doing another season in the Premier League.

As a free agent, Willian can still move to a Premier League side after the transfer window has closed, but he is instead going back to Brazil.

Now Willian has a 'verbal agreement' with Brazilian side Gremio, according to journalist Uriel Lugt.

The attacker has agreed on a contract with Gremio which will run through until the end of 2026.

Gremio are just 13th in the Brazilian Serie A at the moment, having played 21 games, of which they have only managed to win six.

They will hope that in Willian they can inject fresh ideas and experience into their attack and kick on in the coming weeks.

Willian, 37, made a total of ten Premier League appearances for Fulham last term.

It was his second spell with the Cottagers after he was on the books at Craven Cottage from 2022 until 2024.

Willian has made a whopping 327 appearances in the Premier League, also spending time at Chelsea and Arsenal.

He looks unlikely to now add to that number and is poised to see out his career back in his homeland of Brazil with Gremio.

Gremio are due to meet Mirassol in the Brazilian top flight after the international break and it remains to be seen if Willian is involved.



https://insidefutbol.com/2025/09/02/former-fulham-star-agrees-brazil-switch/693830/

'He's in trouble' – Antonee Robinson 'needs a good lawyer' after Fulham outburst
Fulham star Antonee Robinson is likely to be sanctioned by the FA following his comments on Joshua King's disallowed goal against Chelsea, according to Keith Hackett.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the full-back will be facing a visit from the authorities after choosing to speak out on social media about the controversy.

King thought he had given Fulham the lead after 21 minutes at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, 30 August, only for the goal to be disallowed for Rodrigo Muniz's apparent foul on the halfway line.

Muniz clashed with Trevoh Chalobah, which was checked by VAR, and following a lengthy review, Enzo Maresca's side were provided relief before going on to win 2-0.

Antonee Robinson slams officials over Chelsea controversy
This article contains exclusive comments from ex-PGMOL chief, FIFA official and former professional referee Keith Hackett.

Following the game, the PGMOL openly admitted to a mistake being made on the Cottagers' disallowed goal, citing that the decision was "not in line" with the "referee's call" at Stamford Bridge.

Robinson, who entered the field as a Fulham substitute, with Chelsea taking the lead through Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez, slotting away a controversial penalty call, vented his frustrations online.

He wrote: "If they can check something for 5 minutes and still get it wrong, then what's the actual point? Standard of officiating has been shocking in the Prem for too long now."

While Hackett understands the player's comments on the situation, it is likely to land him in hot water.

Fulham star likely to be punished by the PGMOL
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: "I think he's in trouble. He probably needs a good lawyer to represent him. I have no doubt that the FA will contact him, asking for his views, and then they'll determine whether they charge him.

"It's a pity. Ultimately, he's passionate about the game. If you're Fulham, let's be absolutely blunt, they've had a perfectly good goal chalked off.

"I'm not the current referee, but I can tell you, as soon as that goal was chalked off, I was spitting feathers. There was no way that was a foul

"Then they came out saying it was a 'careless' challenge. Who's making these comments? 'Careless' is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge, or acts without caution.

"This player wasn't challenging for the ball? He was turning. He had to put his foot down somewhere. The other guy came in and put his foot in the way.

"I can understand the player's frustration, but my advice would be this: Vent to your manager and colleagues, not to social media. Allow Fulham to go through their own procedure."



https://www.footballinsider247.com/hes-in-trouble-antonee-robinson-needs-a-good-lawyer-after-fulham-outburst-says-pgmol-insider/

Transfer window winners and losers: Liverpool, Arsenal lead the way as Newcastle rue missed opportunities
Another summer transfer window, another unrivalled period of spending for Premier League clubs, who combined to fork out an astronomical £3bn on incomings over the course of the last three months.

And as is customary with any and every transfer window, dealings went right down to the wire on a chaotic deadline day, where players who took drastic measures to get their moves got their moves, and others who adopted a more professional approach did not.

Business is not quite done for sporting directors - unwanted players could still be offloaded to the Turkish Super Lig before September 12 - but barring any surprise moves for free agents, all clubs' incomings are complete.

Here, Sports Mole picks out three Premier League-based winners and losers from the 2025 summer transfer window.


Transfer window winner: Liverpool
If one was to rate Liverpool's summer transfer window out of 10, a 9.5 would not be inaccurate - the missing 0.5 simply stems from the deadline-day Marc Guehi collapse, which they were pretty much powerless to prevent.

However, Guehi is likely to get his dream move to Anfield at some point in 2026 anyway, and the Crystal Palace centre-back will join the Reds' two new record arrivals, including the man who stands alone as the most expensive transfer in British football history.

The Alexander Isak soap opera ended with Liverpool twisting Newcastle United's arm and concluding a deal for £125m - down from the £150m that the Magpies were reportedly after - while Manchester City and Bayern Munich were powerless to prevent Florian Wirtz from moving to Anfield for nine figures either.

The Reds also wasted little time in hiring Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson's successors, while Hugo Ekitike has hit the ground running up front, and embryonic defender Giovanni Leoni has an incredibly high ceiling.

Add in £190m through player sales - obtaining significant fees for Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, Ben Doak and even accruing £8.4m for Trent Alexander-Arnold with a month left on his deal - the summer of 2025 was a Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards masterclass.


Transfer window loser: Newcastle United
Newcastle may have received the biggest transfer fee ever in British football history, but they failed to obtain the £150m they had held out for, and their gratitude to Isak ceased to exist if a curt 37-word transfer confirmation was anything to go by.

The Magpies nevertheless managed to bolster their attacking ranks with the captures of Yoane Wissa - who followed the Isak playbook of going rogue to force a transfer - Nick Woltemade, Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey, but only after so many proposed deals had fallen through.

Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo both opted for a Europe-less Manchester United over a Champions League-competing Newcastle, while moves for all of James Trafford, Joao Pedro, Matheus Cunha, Ekitike, Dean Huijsen and Guehi all failed to materialise for one reason or another.

Sesko and Mbeumo may have been the only two players to 'reject' the Magpies, but the fact that Man United were able to put out a stronger sales pitch after finishing 15th than Newcastle could with Champions League football should raise alarm bells.

Scoreless matches vs. Leeds United and a 10-man Aston Villa showed just how big a hole Isak's departure may leave in the squad, and while the towering Woltemade is an exciting talent, there is no guarantee he will hit the ground running in the Premier League right away.


Transfer window winner: Arsenal
Knowing that it may be win or bust in 2025-26 after three consecutive second-placed finishes, Mikel Arteta went on the offensive and then some this summer, joining forces with no-nonsense sporting director Andrea Berta to bring in an excellent eight new arrivals.

Furthermore, each member of that octet will play an incredibly important role in the 2025-26 season; from signing the world's most expensive goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for just £5m to stealing boyhood Gunner Eberechi Eze from under Tottenham Hotspur's noses.

The number nine that Arsenal fans oh so craved also arrived in the shape of Viktor Gyokeres, while both Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke have also shown flashes of their quality, and the defensive duo of Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie could easily be a starting pair in the Premier League.

The less said about Arsenal's ability to sell the better - the Gunners have a perennial problem when it comes to obtaining reasonable fees for unwanted players - but focusing purely on incomings, they did not miss a beat.


Transfer window loser: Fulham
As some Premier League clubs up and down the country concluded deal after deal, the powers-that-be at Fulham took biding their time to a new level, only adding one new player to Marco Silva's ranks before September came around.

Even then, that signing was an essential rather than exciting one - second-choice goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte - and the Frenchman was just one of two new players to arrive at Craven Cottage permanently alongside Brazilian attacker Kevin from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Fulham did strike late loan deals for AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze and Bayern Munich's Jonah Kusi-Asare, but the latter is only 18 years of age, and a proposed £22m move for Chelsea's Tyrique George fell through at the final moment.

George staying at Chelsea at least meant that Fulham kept hold of Leeds United-linked Harry Wilson, but it is hard not to feel incredibly underwhelmed by the Cottagers' summer dealings, especially seeing as they have also failed to win any of their first three Premier League games of the season.


Transfer window winner: Sunderland
On account of winning the so-called richest game in football - the 2024-25 Championship playoff final - Sunderland had much cash to splash this summer, and the Black Cats pulled off many a major coup as they shelled out close to £200m.

The man pictured above is arguably the Black Cats' standout acquisition among many standout acquisitions, as Bayer Leverkusen Invincible and Arsenal FA Cup winner Granit Xhaka was persuaded to make the move to the Stadium of Light, as were many others of an esteemed European pedigree.

Xhaka's Leverkusen teammate Nordi Mukiele is a signing that must not fly under the radar, while Simon Adingra is Premier League-proven, Brian Brobbey and Habib Diarra have bags of potential, and left-back Reinildo was a stalwart of the Lille team that beat Paris Saint-Germain to the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title.

Taking six points from nine on offer so far this season suggests that Sunderland's blockbuster business is already paying dividends, and the only way it could have been improved would have been if Jobe Bellingham was not seduced by Borussia Dortmund and if Chelsea did not recall Marc Guiu following Liam Delap's injury.


Transfer window winner: Wolverhampton Wanderers
Losing Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo - on a free transfer - early doors gave Wolverhampton Wanderers adequate time to plan for life without the crucial trio, but the early indications are not at all promising.

Aside from converting Jorgen Strand Larsen's loan from Celta Vigo into a permanent move, Wolves brought in players lacking the know-how of England's top flight, as Jackson Tchatchoua, David Moller Wolfe, Tolu Arokodare, Jhon Arias and Ladislav Krejci have never played on British soil before.

That is not to say that a few of Wolves' imports will not immediately adapt to the demands of England's top flight, but it is unrealistic to expect all of them to set Molineux alight straight away. The issue is, Vitor Pereira's side need results straight away.

The Old Gold are the only side without a point on the board after three games of the 2025-26 Premier League season, and a lack of genuine star quality within the squad could prove to be their undoing in the relegation dogfight.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/liverpool/transfer-talk/feature/liverpool-lead-the-way-as-fulham-falter-summer-transfer-window-winners-and-losers_580680.html

Chukwueze 'so happy' to join Fulham: "The Premier League is a dream"
Samuel Chukwueze has revealed his delight after he swapped AC Milan for Fulham in a deadline day loan move.

Chukwueze's future was speculated about all summer, with a number of different clubs linked. That came after a difficult first two years at Milan following his move from Villarreal in the summer 2023 window, having struggled for playing time due to Christian Pulisic's impressive form.

Just as it looked like he would be remaining, Fulham stepped forward. On Sunday night, the Nigerian travelled to London to complete a medical, without a deal being agreed. However, late on deadline day the London club announced they had got him on loan with an option to buy.

Already at home
Chukwueze spoke to Fulham's official channel to reveal his emotions after swapping San Siro for Craven Cottage, and his comments were published on MilanPress.

"I'm so happy to be here. I have some friends here, and this is a fantastic club. I already feel at home, and I can't wait to get started. Playing in the Premier League is a dream for every player," he said.

"Have I spoken to Coach Marco Silva? Yes, he called me and convinced me to come here with his words. He's an excellent coach with a style that suits me."



https://sempremilan.com/chukwueze-so-happy-to-join-fulham

Howard Webb blasts officials over Chelsea vs Fulham incident – 'It wasn't controversial'
PGMOL chief Howard Webb has spoken about the decision to rule out Josh King's goal for Fulham against Chelsea for a "careless challenge" by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up

Howard Webb has admitted that his team of officials made an embarrassing error in ruling out Fulham's goal against Chelsea. Fulham were furious after Josh King's goal was chalked off following a VAR review in their 2-0 defeat by their rivals on Saturday.

King thought he had put Fulham 1-0 up in the derby, only for referee Rob Jones to rule that his team-mate Rodrigo Muniz had committed a foul earlier in the move. Muniz was adjudged to have put in a "careless challenge" on Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah near the halfway line in the build-up of the counter-attack.

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) later dropped Michael Salisbury for the Premier League game between Liverpool and Arsenal the following day as punishment for his error. Salisbury was the VAR who worked with Jones and suggested he look at Muniz.

PGMOL chief Webb called Fulham to acknowledge their grievance and said the goal should not have been ruled out because it was not a clear and obvious error by the referee. Instead it should have been deemed a 'referees' call'.

"It wasn't controversial, it was wrong," he said on Match Officials Mic'd Up. "We've established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR. They sit around a high threshold for penalising contact – it aids the flow and rhythm and tempo of the game.

"We've also established a high bar for intervention with VAR. In other words, if situations are not clearly wrong and the referee has made a call on the field, that call will stand, or at least should stand. And that's the message that we give to all of our VARs, particularly when we come to taking away goals that are so obviously such a crucial moment in the game.

"We should only be taking goals away when the evidence is very clear that that's the only thing we can do and that's the guidance we give to our officials."

Fulham manager Marco Silva described the decision as "unbelievable", while defender Antonee Robinson wrote on Instagram : "If they can check something for five minutes and still get it wrong, then what's actually the point? Standard of officiating has been shocking in the Prem for too long now."

Webb added: "In this situation, that guidance wasn't followed properly. There was a misjudgement by the officials involved in this situation about how that contact happened between Muniz and Chalobah. The officials got super focused on that contact without looking at the full context of how it happened.

"It happens when Muniz is in possession of the ball, controls the ball, turns naturally and brings his foot down on to Chalobah who has moved his foot into a space which the Fulham player has the right to put his foot into in that normal way. So, a misjudgement by the officials.

"Obviously, as always, we take the learning, we look at what we can do better to ensure we reduce these to a minimum. But we've done really well in the last 18 months or so to reduce our involvement, with respect to the referee's call, almost all of the time in the right way and, as a result of that, we've seen less interventions in the Premier League than any other major league in Europe, so we need to continue doing that.

"We understand the importance of these decisions, we understand that, if we get it wrong like we did on this occasion, the impact is significant and we're always, always striving to do better."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/fulham-chelsea-var-howard-webb-35836678

Howard Webb takes aim at officials over Chelsea vs Fulham decision - 'It wasn't controversial'
Fulham had a goal controversially ruled out in their 2-0 defeat by Chelsea on Saturday

PGMOL chief Howard Webb has admitted that his team of officials made an embarrassing error in ruling out Fulham's goal against Chelsea. Josh King thought he had opened the scoring for the visitors at Stamford Bridge, calmly finishing off a stunning breakaway move inside the opening 22 minutes.

However, the goal was ruled out following a VAR review. Pedro Muniz was the player penalised, judged to have been reckless in his challenge on Trevoh Chalobah before the ball was worked to King, who finished into the corner with aplomb.

Explaining his decision, referee Rob Jones said: "After review, Fulham No.9 commits a careless challenge, stands on the foot of the Chelsea defender, therefore we disallow the goal and we restart with a Chelsea free kick. There would be no further action."

The PGMOL dropped Michael Salisbury for the Premier League game between Liverpool and Arsenal the following day as punishment for his error.

Webb called Fulham to apologise and said the goal should not have been ruled out because it was not a clear and obvious error by the referee. Instead it should have been deemed a 'referees' call'.

"It wasn't controversial, it was wrong," he said on Match Officials Mic'd Up. "We've established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR. They sit around a high threshold for penalising contact – it aids the flow and rhythm and tempo of the game.

"We've also established a high bar for intervention with VAR. In other words, if situations are not clearly wrong and the referee has made a call on the field, that call will stand, or at least should stand. And that's the message that we give to all of our VARs, particularly when we come to taking away goals that are so obviously such a crucial moment in the game.

"We should only be taking goals away when the evidence is very clear that that's the only thing we can do and that's the guidance we give to our officials."

Webb added: "In this situation, that guidance wasn't followed properly. There was a misjudgement by the officials involved in this situation about how that contact happened between Muniz and Chalobah. The officials got super focused on that contact without looking at the full context of how it happened.

"It happens when Muniz is in possession of the ball, controls the ball, turns naturally and brings his foot down on to Chalobah who has moved his foot into a space which the Fulham player has the right to put his foot into in that normal way. So, a misjudgement by the officials.

"Obviously, as always, we take the learning, we look at what we can do better to ensure we reduce these to a minimum. But we've done really well in the last 18 months or so to reduce our involvement, with respect to the referee's call, almost all of the time in the right way and, as a result of that, we've seen less interventions in the Premier League than any other major league in Europe, so we need to continue doing that.

"We understand the importance of these decisions, we understand that, if we get it wrong like we did on this occasion, the impact is significant and we're always, always striving to do better."



https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/howard-webb-takes-aim-officials-32401329

Disallowing King goal was 'misjudgement' - Webb
Professional Game Match Officials Limited chief Howard Webb says the decision to disallow Josh King's goal for Fulham in their defeat by Chelsea last weekend was a "misjudgement".

King, 18, scored after 22 minutes only for it to be chalked off following a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) intervention for a foul by Rodrigo Muniz in the build-up.

Muniz was deemed to have stepped on the foot of Chelsea centre-back Trevoh Chalobah while trying to turn him near the halfway line.

Fulham manager Marco Silva said it was "unbelievable" the goal was disallowed.

Chelsea went on to win the game 2-0 thanks to Joao Pedro's header and Enzo Fernandez's penalty which came after another contentious VAR decision that went against the visitors and left Silva fuming.

After the game Michael Salisbury was stood down as VAR official for Sunday's match between Liverpool and Arsenal.

Speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up - a television programme which analyses VAR decisions from previous gameweeks - PGMOL chief refereeing officer Webb acknowledged the error.

Webb said officials should "only be taking goals away" when the "evidence is very clear" and that was the guidance they provide for officials.

"It wasn't controversial, it was wrong. We've established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR," Webb added.

"They sit around a high threshold for penalising contact, aiding the flow, rhythm and tempo of the game. We've also established a high bar for intervention with VAR.

"In this situation, that guidance wasn't followed properly. There was a misjudgement by the officials involved in this situation about how that contact happened between Muniz and Chalobah.

"The officials got super focused on that contact, without looking at the full context of how it happened."

It was the second Premier League home game in a row Chelsea have benefited from a VAR intervention.

Eberechi Eze's free-kick in a 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace was disallowed on the opening weekend because Marc Guehi was deemed to have interfered with the wall.

Burnley manager Scott Parker said at the weekend VAR decisions are threatening to turn football into "the most sterile game there is" - but Webb defended its use.

"We've done really well in the last 18 months or so to reduce our involvement, with respect to the referee's call," added the PGMOL chief.

"We've seen less interventions in the Premier League than any other major league in Europe, so we need to continue doing that.

"We understand the importance of these decisions. We understand that if we get it wrong like we did on this occasion the impact is significant - and we're always, always striving to do better."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c1kzkrp8dmgo

Fulham Failed With Bid For Former Nottingham Forest Star Just 45 Days Into New Club Stint
Fulham failed with a late bid for former Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo as Botafogo felt there was no time to replace him.

Botafogo only signed Danilo 45 days ago, bringing him back to Brazil following a stint at the City Ground, which had begun brightly.

The Brazilian side splurged €22m on the midfielder, which came in as the club's record transfer.

Then, on deadline day, Fulham came in with a bid of €30m to take Danilo back to England, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.

The Cottagers were trying to land Danilo before the window in England shut and if Botafogo had accepted then they would have made a quick €8m profit.

Botafogo though rejected Fulham's offer and the club's board were clear that they did not feel they had enough time to replace Danilo.

Danilo, who signed for the Brazilian side in July, has so far played nine games for them, chipping in with one goal and one assist.

Botafogo find themselves in the middle of the Brazilian season, having played 20 games in the Brazilian Serie A and sitting just a point off an automatic Copa Libertadores qualification spot.

Fulham did pull off a number of eye-catching arrivals on deadline day, with winger Kevin joining from Shakhtar Donetsk and penning a five-year deal.

Samuel Chukwueze also arrived at the club from AC Milan, initially on loan, but with Fulham holding an option to sign him on a permanent basis.

They also managed to loan in Bayern Munich prospect Jonah Kusi-Asare, who they also have an option to buy.

Danilo, who Fulham could not manage to bring in, made 62 appearances for Nottingham Forest during his time at the City Ground.

It remains to be seen if Fulham go back for him in January.



https://insidefutbol.com/2025/09/02/fulham-failed-with-bid-for-former-nottingham-forest-star-just-45-days-into-new-club-stint/693873/

Fulham confirm the signing of Bayern Munich striker in late move

Fulham Secure Loan Deal for Jonah Kusi-Asare
Ambition in West London

Fulham have moved swiftly to add firepower to Marco Silva's squad, confirming the loan signing of Bayern Munich forward Jonah Kusi-Asare. Crucially, the agreement includes an option to buy – a condition the club viewed as essential before finalising negotiations. It underlines Fulham's determination not just to strengthen in the short term, but to invest with purpose in their long-term plans.

At just 18, Kusi-Asare arrives with a reputation as one of the brightest emerging strikers in German football. His time in Bayern's youth system has sharpened his technical instincts and given him exposure to the demands of elite-level football. For Fulham, this signing offers a blend of immediate attacking depth and the tantalising possibility of moulding a future star.

The young striker expressed his enthusiasm upon completing the move, saying:

"I'm really excited to join Fulham. It's a fantastic club with great supporters, and I can't wait to get started, work with my teammates and give everything for the club."

Those words capture not only his excitement but also a desire to embed himself quickly into Silva's set-up.

Strategic Move in Transfer Market
Fulham's transfer activity often reflects pragmatism balanced with ambition. The addition of Kusi-Asare fits neatly into that approach. By securing a loan with the potential for permanence, the club minimise risk while keeping open the door to a player who could grow into a leading figure at Craven Cottage.

What It Means for Silva's Options
For Silva, who has steadily rebuilt Fulham into a stable Premier League outfit, the signing offers flexibility in attack. Kusi-Asare is unlikely to be burdened with expectation immediately, but his presence will provide competition, variety, and perhaps an injection of youthful unpredictability.

Fulham supporters, accustomed to moments of cautious optimism, may see this as more than just a routine loan. It is a calculated gamble on potential – one that could pay dividends if Kusi-Asare adapts quickly to English football.



https://eplindex.com/135862/fulham-confirm-the-signing-of-bayern-munich-striker-in-late-move.html

Report | Gillingham 4-1 Fulham U21's
Logan Dobbs, Cruz Beszant and Stan Sargent all scored their first goals for the club as Gills sealed a comfortable 4-1 win over Fulham's U21 side in the Vertu Trophy at MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Tuesday.

Dobbs opened the scoring early on, finishing nicely following Aaron Rowe's short pass inside the box. Beszant got on the end of a Marcus Wyllie delivery to make it two, with the striker getting one himself when he converted a brilliant cross from Louie Dayal.

Sargent wrapped it up, pouncing on a loose ball when Dayal's shot was blocked. Fulham pulled one back in stoppage time when an initial effort had struck the post.

Gareth Ainsworth was able to give three players their full debuts, namely Dobbs, Harry Waldock and Beszant. Dayal and Sargent were among the subs.

Gills started well and it was one of the debutants who got on the scoresheet early. A cross from the right was headed away as far as Rowe; he lost possession but hassled to win it back.

He saw Dobbs to his left and the centre-back produced a precise finish into the corner.

The hosts settled after the goal and restricted Fulham to few openings, although Jake Turner had to be alert to collect a loose ball inside the box as Fulham went in search of an equaliser.

They had a half chance on 32 minutes when Bradley de Jesus went for goal with a direct free-kick, but his effort missed the target.

Gills nearly doubled their advantage before the break. Clark received the ball wide on the left and spotted the run of Wyllie. The striker worked to stay onside, which he did, and the left-back played a nice ball across goal, but it was just a foot beyond the reach of the striker and although he made contact he couldn't divert it home.

A few moments later Wyllie had a better chance, this time heading an effort towards goal following Hutton's cross. He provided the power, but it was straight at Alfie McNally.
 

H/T: Gillingham 1-0 Fulham U21
Gills started the second half as they started the first, with a goal. Wyllie had possession on the left side and had time to get his head up. Beszant had held his run and received possession six yards out; his strike was clean and he found the back of the net with a powerful effort.

Cruz then conceded a penalty when his tackle was slightly late on Nwojo Jr. Loupalo-Bi stepped up but dragged his penalty wide of the left post.

Fulham had a great chance shortly afterwards from open play when Oliver Gofford delivered a great cross into the heart of the Gills box. Loupalo-Bi met it well but guided his header wide.

Dayal was introduced on the hour and his impact was immediate when a terrific cross from the left wing was guided towards Wyllie and the striker duly converted towards the back post from just a few yards out.

It was four not long after, and Sargent joined the party. Beszant's clever flick found Dayal. His shot inside the box was saved, the ball wriggled free and Sargent was first to react and converted from a tight angle to net his first goal for the club.

Fulham were restricted to few opportunities although sub Macauley Zepa did produce a powerful effort from 25 yards. It was well struck but Turner was able to see it go over the bar.

In stoppage time Gills nearly got a fifth goal but Wyllie's effort, following a perfectly timed Lenni Cirino cross, was well saved by McNally.

There was still time for Fulham to get one back. Nwojo Jr struck the post from distance; Loupalo-Bi was well placed on the rebound and tucked away an effort from ten yards out.
 

F/T: Gillingham 4-1 Fulham U21's

Gills: Turner, Hutton (Webster 46), Dobbs, Akomeah, Clark (Sargent 46), Cirino, Little (Khumbeni 46), Waldock, Beszant, Rowe (Dayal 60), Wyllie

Unused subs: Morris, Smith, Gale

Fulham U21: McNally, Loupalo-Bi, Works (Zepa 77), de Jesus, Olyott (Essenga 63), Gofford, Nwoko Jr, Nsasi, Quashie, Al Wahid, Slade

Unused subs: Mayer, Wingate, Walters, White, Cooke

Attendance: 962 (48)

Referee: Mr Carl Brook



https://www.gillinghamfootballclub.com/news/report-gillingham-4-1-fulham-u21s