Sheffield Wednesday: Dejphon Chansiri must regret controversial £12m Fulham transfer
Amid ongoing off-field turmoil and financial problems, Sheffield Wednesday lost a number of key players this summer.
As owner Dejphon Chansiri desperately attempted to raise funds to pay the wages of players and staff, Wednesday cashed in on star duo Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama for a combined total of just £3 million, while Josh Windass and Michael Smith departed after handing in their notices, and the likes of Michael Ihiekwe, Marvin Johnson and Callum Paterson were among some of the other high-profile exits.
The Owls have been hit with a four-window transfer fee ban as a punishment for the multiple late payments of wages, while a host of free transfer and loan deals collapsed this summer after being blocked by the EFL, and that has left manager Henrik Pedersen with a threadbare squad that looks doomed to relegation this season, particularly with a points deduction looming.
With little sign of an imminent takeover, many Wednesday supporters remain fearful for the future of their club, but it has not always been this way under Chansiri, who spent big in the early stages of his ownership in a bid to achieve his target of reaching the Premier League.
One of the Owls' best transfer dealings over the past decade was the signing of Fernando Forestieri from Watford for a fee of £3 million in the summer of 2015, but despite the impact he made at Hillsborough, Chansiri may wish he had cashed in on the forward.
Sheffield Wednesday struck transfer gold with Fernando Forestieri, Watford deal
Forestieri scored 21 goals and provided 23 assists in 92 appearances for Watford, and he was part of the side that won promotion to the Premier League in the 2014-15 campaign, so his signing looked to be a big coup for Wednesday as they began their rebuild under new head coach Carlos Carvalhal.
The £3 million fee the Owls paid for Forestieri soon looked like a bargain as he lit up Hillsborough with his performances in his debut season at the club, and he scored a stunning 15 goals and provided eight assists in 39 appearances to help Carvalhal's men to the play-off final, where they were beaten by Hull City.
Forestieri's performances that season have ensured that, to this day, many Wednesday supporters still regard him as one of the most talented players ever to have worn the shirt, but his relationship with the fan base soon became strained.
Just one week into the following season, Forestieri controversially refused to play for the Owls in their away game at Norwich City amid reported transfer interest from Derby County and Newcastle United, leaving many supporters furious.
Forestieri was reintegrated back into the squad after apologising and describing his actions as "unprofessional and unacceptable", and he went on to score 12 goals and register five assists in 38 games to help Wednesday to another play-off finish, but they missed out on promotion for the second consecutive season, this time losing to Huddersfield Town at the semi-final stage.
Despite Forestieri signing a new three-and-a-half year contract with the Owls in January 2017, his future was again the subject of speculation that summer, and Chansiri had a big decision to make after receiving a significant bid from Fulham.
Fernando Forestieri, Fulham transfer mistake will still haunt Dejphon Chansiri amid Sheffield Wednesday turmoil
The Sun claimed in the summer of 2017 that Fulham had made a £12 million bid for Forestieri, who was said to have fallen out with some of his team-mates and staff at Wednesday, but the offer was rejected as Chansiri wanted more for his star forward.
At the time, Chansiri would likely have faced a strong backlash from supporters for selling Forestieri to a promotion rival, but in hindsight, the Owls chief may look back at his decision to turn down Fulham's bid as one of the biggest mistakes of his tenure, particularly given his current financial plight.
After scoring 27 goals in his first two years at Hillsborough, Forestieri netted just 13 times in the following three seasons, and he did not play more than 27 games in a single campaign as injuries began to plague him.
Forestieri did still produce occasional moments of magic, such as his delightful long-range strike against Norwich in 2019, but they were few and far between in the latter part of his time at the club, and it was, therefore, little surprise when the former Italy youth international was released at the end of his contract in 2020.
After knocking back a £12 million bid in 2017, it would surely have been agonising for Chansiri to see Forestieri depart for free just three years later, especially considering his lack of contribution on the pitch during that time, but the situation sums up the poor business decisions that have characterised his reign as Wednesday owner and explains how the club have ended up in their present predicament.
In fact, the departure of striker Lucas Joao to Reading for a fee of £5 million in 2019 remains the club's only significant sale under Chansiri, which is quite remarkable given the wealth of talent they have had on their books over the past decade, and some of the sizeable transfer bids they have received for some of their stars.
Forestieri's performances in his first season at Hillsborough have earned him a place in Owls history, but the club's future could have been a lot brighter if Chansiri cashed in on him when he had the chance.
https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/sheffield-wednesday-dejphon-chansiri-regret-controversial-fulham-transfer/
"Very happy to be here" – Player loving life after Fulham exit
Andreas Pereira finally made his debut for Palmeiras after leaving Fulham, and the first signs were positive both on the pitch and in the numbers.
The midfielder, who arrived as the club's main reinforcement for the second half of the season, came on in the second half of the 4-1 win over Internacional in the Brasileirão.
According to figures highlighted by ESPN Brazil, Andreas led four different stats during his 28 minutes on the pitch: ball actions (33), progressive actions (9), accurate passes (28) and shots (2). His impact was immediate, with the former Fulham player taking a central role in Palmeiras' attacking rhythm.
Assistant coach João Martins praised the versatility that the new signing brings to the squad. Speaking in the post-match press conference, he explained that Andreas' ability will give manager Abel Ferreira an edge as the season develops.
Martins even referred to Pereira's time at the Craven Cottage: "He played there as a number 8, as a number 10, as an inside midfielder... that gives us several options to think about depending on the opponent and the game."
The midfielder himself also spoke after the game, telling SporTV: "It is a very important victory. I was very happy, I am very happy to be here. I want to thank the fans for the support and for the affection."
Palmeiras' coaching staff will now be looking at how to integrate him further, with Andreas expected to play an important role in the months ahead.
https://sportwitness.co.uk/very-happy-to-be-here-player-loving-life-after-fulham-exit/
'I understand why Marco Silva has felt frustrated' Former Fulham star Bobby Zamora on a frustrating summer at Craven Cottage
With Fulham languishing in the bottom half of the table after a tough start, former star Zamora hopes the new signings can help them turn a corner
Bobby Zamora has offered his backing to Marco Silva after what he described as a "frustrating" summer transfer window at Fulham, suggesting the Portuguese gaffer's ambitions were not fully matched in the market despite some late business.
"It's hard knowing what exactly goes on in the background, who they've potentially tried to sign in the summer, what players have been discussed, who they've tried to get rid of but maybe couldn't," Zamora tells FFT. "Sales create budget and obviously there's a PSR element now and everybody's hands are tied.
"I understand if Marco Silva has felt frustrated, and he obviously has done a great job recently, and he's looking to kick on at Fulham. I suppose he wanted or expected a little bit more from his board."
'I think Marco would have loved to have signed a few more' Zamora has understood the Fulham manager's frustrations in recent weeks
For much of the window, Fulham's business was subdued, with goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte's arrival from Montpellier the only addition of note.
It wasn't until deadline day that Silva was handed a trio of new recruits – Brazilian midfielder Kevin from Shakhtar Donetsk in a club-record deal, winger Samuel Chukwueze on loan from AC Milan, and teenage striker Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich, also on loan with a potential option to buy.
Even so, Zamora suggested those late moves only underlined Silva's impatience.
"Certainly it reiterates his frustration," he said. "I think it may be on his part he's thinking, well, that's a bit of a blessing as it may have forced them into action. I think Marco would have loved to have signed a few more and really, really pushed on with their progress."
The departures of experienced figures such as Willian and Carlos Vinicius earlier in the summer left Fulham light in attacking areas, and Zamora believes those gaps have not been fully filled. Yet he was keen to stress how far Silva has already taken the club since their return to the Premier League. "
They've been tremendous over the last couple of years," he said. "Anybody going to Craven Cottage knows they're in for a game and even away from home as well. They're a very good, organised side, they create lots of chances and are good to watch. Really good to watch."
Zamora was speaking to FourFourTwo on behalf of the Every Minute Matters campaign, which aims to help create an army of 500,000 CPR lifesavers – and raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
First launched at Wembley in May 2024, Every Minute Matters has already had a big impact. The campaign set out to teach 270,000 people how to perform CPR using the BHF's free RevivR tool and smashed that target eventually inspiring over 300,000 fans to start learning CPR.
In an attempt to go one step further this year, Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation with the support of the EFL, are launching the EFL 'Red Boot' – a new one-off award for 2025/26 season for the best striker across all three tiers of the English Football League.
"This season's game plan is clear," Zamora tells FFT. "For footballers across the EFL to bang in as many goals as possible and raise as much money as they can for the British Heart Foundation and the amazing Every Minute Matters campaign.
"I saw the great work the partnership did last year in raising awareness of the need to learn CPR and I really hope the race for the Red Boot can take the campaign to another level."
https://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/i-understand-why-marco-silva-has-felt-frustrated-former-fulham-star-bobby-zamora-on-a-frustrating-summer-at-craven-cottage
Harry Wilson open to Leeds United move
Harry Wilson would be open to a switch to Leeds United in January as there are big question marks over his current role and game time at Fulham.
According to Football Insider, Harry Wilson might open the door to make the move to Leeds United ahead of the January window. The Yorkshire side tried to sign the winger around the transfer deadline, but Fulham pulled the plug for reasons unknown, although a winter move seems more likely now.
Leeds United were angling for late moves for players that would improve their attacking setup and landed on the idea of signing Harry Wilson from Fulham. Having seen a bid rejected a few days before the transfer deadline, they were in concrete talks on the final day to get a deal over the line.
Fulham were in parallel talks for wingers Kevin from Shakhtar Donetsk and Samuel Chukwueze from AC Milan. They agreed a deal for Kevin and the former AC Milan winger before that, which did leave them room to sell Wilson, who had entered the final year of his deal at Craven Cottage.
While a deal appeared to be close for Harry Wilson to join Leeds United, Fulham pulled the plug on the transfer for reasons unknown, given they had signed players in his position. The Cottagers feel the Welsh international has value in the market and could even offer an extension to recoup some of the £12 million they paid to sign him in 2021 from Liverpool.
Leeds United retain an interest in Wilson, and they are likely to try their luck again in January, as the winger could be on the move if his role at Fulham remains unchanged. The 28-year-old is currently vying for regular minutes as that would be helpful for his World Cup campaign with Wales next year, but given the strength in the wide areas at Fulham, regular game time could be difficult to come by.
Harry Wilson is open to a Leeds United switch
Wilson is reportedly open to joining Leeds United in January if the West Yorkshire club returns with an interest. The main idea would be to establish himself as a regular away from Fulham and gain regular minutes, although he would challenge for a place there with compatriot Daniel James.
It remains to be seen whether Leeds United or someone else comes back with an approach for the Fulham wide man in January. A switch to Leeds United might also depend on where they are around January, because Harry Wilson might view it as a big career risk to join a team battling for relegation and may not want to drop down to the Championship.
https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2025/09/15/harry-wilson-open-to-leeds-united-move/