Friends of Fulham

Report: Bayern Munich's Jonah Kusi-Asare to stay at Fulham, promised more playing time
FC Bayern will not be getting its young striker back early.

According to a report from Sky Germany (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), Bayern Munich loanee Jonah Kusi-Asare will not be return early from his loan at Fulham FC:

    Jonah Kusi-Asare's Fulham loan will not be terminated this month. He's not allowed to play for three clubs in the same season – meaning he cannot join a new team. Fulham want to keep him anyway. The 18-year-old is improving steadily in training, which has led manager Marco Silva to promise him more playing time. Fulham have an option to buy in the summer, with Bayern having secured a buy-back clause.

The loan to Fulham was always a curious move and was — allegedly — driven by Kusi-Asare and his camp. Now, though, if the report is true, Kusi-Asare might be in line for more minutes. So far, Kusi-Asare has made just six appearances for Fulham FC and played only 45 minutes.

Now, there could some hope...maybe.



https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/bayern-munich-transfer-rumors-news/158727/report-bayern-munich-jonah-kusi-asare-to-stay-at-fulham-promised-more-playing-time

Ipswich Town backed to sign 'high-quality' Fulham ace - he could solve Kieran McKenna issue
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Ipswich Town have been backed to complete the high-profile signing of Fulham captain and modern-day icon, Tom Cairney.

The Tractor Boys have enjoyed a recent resurgence under Kieran McKenna, with the pre-season promotion favourites now just two points outside the Championship's automatic promotion places at the beginning of January.

The Northern Irishman's side, of course, had returned to the top two on New Year's Day, but were overtaken by rivals Middlesbrough last weekend after their away trip to relegation-threatened Portsmouth was postponed.

After being relegated from the Premier League last term, supporters of opposition clubs and pundits have continued to reference the strength-in-depth McKenna has at his disposal across many departments, despite there being a fair amount of turnover in the summer transfer window at Portman Road.

One element which cannot be disputed, though, is the spending and pulling power which the Blues have been able to recently utilise under the ownership of Gamechanger 20 Limited.

This saw them part with a Championship-record sum for an incoming in the previous window, acquiring Norwegian wonderkid, Sindre Walle Egeli, for a reported £17.5m.

However, at the beginning of the winter window, which remains open until Monday, February 2nd, Ipswich have already been linked with a handful of transfer moves

A move for the Cottagers captain certainly sits at the top of the list in terms of statements, with the Scottish international playmaker previously amongst the Championship's best players when the West London side earned promotion in both 2018, 2020 and most recently, 2022.

Yet, whilst Cairney is now at the age of 34, Football League World's Ipswich Town fan pundit, Adam Wilkin, believes it would represent a shrewd piece of business.

Ipswich Town backed to striker Fulham, Tom Cairney transfer agreement - he could help sove Tractor Boys issues
Wilkin believes that the potential acquisition of Cairney could help McKenna fix a major issue in terms of Town's style of play, which has been apparent across a handful of Championship outings.

It has been well-documented that the two-time Tartan Army midfielder has extremely strong vision and composure on the ball - two facets which have helped his current and former employers, such as Blackburn Rovers, unlock opposition defences who sit in a low block.

"I think Tom Cairney would be an excellent signing," Wilkin told FLW.

"He'd bring experience to what is a fairly young squad. He's got high-level Premier League experience as well.

"He certainly fills the gap in terms of what our midfield has been missing, with Marcelino Nunez moving forward into the number '10' role and us playing more of a midfield three at times in recent games, which I'd say is probably Cairney's best position - in front of a more defensive midfielder," he explained.

"It still doesn't solve the cover for Azor Matusiwa if he does get injured. I think that's something that we're still lacking.

"But, he (Cairney) is another player who can unpick the door of a creative midfielder. We've struggled against low block teams, so I can see his addition helping with that," Wilkin added.

"He's a high-quality player. Every Fulham fan I've spoken to rates him highly, even though he doesn't get that much gametime.

"If that's the sort of move he's looking for at this stage in his career, he could be one that really makes a difference in getting us over the line for promotion."

Marco Silva comments will encourage Ipswich Town amid Tom Cairney links
Comments from Cairney's current boss, Marco Silva, will certainly encourage those of an Ipswich persuasion.

The Portuguese revealed on Friday afternoon that Town do hold an interest in his services, months after divisional rivals, Wrexham, plotted a move for his services in the summer.

"The interest from Ipswich is there. I didn't have any conversation with Tom about it yet," said Silva.

Cairney has made 13 Premier League appearances for Fulham so far this campaign and is out-of-contract on June 30th. However, his overall record at Championship level is extremely strong, scoring 45 times and posting 51 assists in 318 second tier outings.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ipswich-town-backed-to-sign-fulham-fc-captain-tom-cairney/

Player Ratings: Fulham 3-1 Middlesbrough
Here are the ratings after Fulham put themselves into the fourth round.

This had all the hallmarks of the proverbial banana skin cup tie; a rotated XI from Fulham, against a side second in the Championship, with strong travelling support. After the first 45 minutes it felt like we had trodden right on it and were slipping out. I thought 'Boro were really impressive, putting together some lovely passages of play and probably could have had more than a goal advantage.

However, Marco threw on the big guns and the game changed completely. A trademark goal and an even better assist from Harry Wilson, either side of a goal from Emile Smith Rowe made the scoreline look very comfortable, even if that doesn't tell the whole story. Some players strengthened their claims for starting berths, others did not... Regardless, we're into the fourth round and with Premier League teams already being dumped out, an opportunity once again opens up for Fulham.

Benjamin Lecomte

Made a really good save from point blank range early on to keep things at 0-0 and I don't think there's much he can do about the goal. What I find most interesting about Lecomte is his distribution. He's very comfortable with his feet and plays some very ambitious passes, which largely worked well, but sometimes they felt like hospital passes, putting pressure on his own teammates to get out of a difficult scenario. 6.5/10

Timothy Castagne

After a good performance midweek, I thought today was a bit more of what I've come to expect from Timmy, which was just a bit underwhelming. He was mostly fine, but I just feel like he's rarely positioned where you want him to be. Either he's too deep when we have the ball, or too high when we don't have it. His lack of pace concerns me as well, especially when 34-year old Luke Ayling breezed past him like he wasn't there. I didn't think he was bad, I just didn't think he was that good. 6/10

Issa Diop

Pretty composed performance again from Issa. Had to do a fair amount of defending in that first half and did well. Having watched back the highlights, he's probably lucky that Hayden Hackney scores his opportunity as he hauls down Tommy Conway in the middle and it's definitely a penalty. Other than that, he continues to show that he is a Premier League quality centre-back and I love that. 6.5/10

Jorge Cuenca

I really enjoy watching him. He's a genre of central defender that I love; languid yet still physical, and really comfortable on the ball. Very nearly got himself a goal, but it was his defensive work that impressed me once again, including one superb tackle to prevent a good opportunity. Bassey should find it difficult to earn his spot back. 7/10

Ryan Sessegnon

A tough one for Sess. He obviously gets totally skinned by Silvera for the opening goal but in general he struggled to lock down the combination of Whittaker and Silvera down that flank. Not one to worry about, given how good he was when he came on against Chelsea and because he's still returning to full fitness, just certainly wasn't his finest performance of the season. 5/10

Harrison Reed

Wonderful to see Harrison get the captain's armband. He did ok in the middle of the park, tasked with being that box-to-box midfielder, trying his best to get Fulham ticking. He couldn't quite have the impact he wanted and the introduction of TC made a big difference to the game. 6/10

Sasa Lukic

Like most of the team, he wasn't really at it in the first half. After the break though, he was much more involved. TC sat a bit deeper and dictated play and it allowed Sasa to make bursting runs forward, snap into challenges, and just be more involved in general. 7/10

Adama Traore

Player number one who did himself no favours today. I don't support pile-ons, abuse, booing etc. but Jesus wept...

He actually did some good work a couple of times, getting past his man and putting decent crosses into the box. Outside of this it was infuriating to watch. He slowed down nearly every attack that he was involved in, seemingly forgetting that he was allowed to pass the ball, choosing instead to hog it as much as possible. He managed to get worse in the second half, misplacing simple passes before being jeered off (I don't like it when we do this, he's still a Fulham player) by the home fans. I actually feel bad for him, I simply think a new pasture for Adama would benefit all parties, because it isn't working anymore. 3/10

Emile Smith Rowe

He's playing his best football in years, as well as his most, and I don't think that's a coincidence. I wanted more from him, as the senior player in that attacking line in the first half, but he struggled to get on the ball. Once his proper mates joined him on the pitch however, he was much more influential. Picking it up in lovely pockets and driving towards goal. His turn and finish was clinical, taking him to five goals this season, great to see 7.5/10

Kevin

Kevin!!! (I'm grinning as I come to this section of the ratings) A goal - he has finally got a goal! Most importantly, he deserved it. Again, the first half was concerning, but in the second half he started to really fizz. I could see the terror in Alan Browne's eyes every time he got isolated one-on-one. He so nearly got his goal earlier on and after it agonisingly flew wide, the poor lad looked so dejected. We've spoken at length at how he needs a confidence boost, so an influential performance against our West London rivals and a goal in the cup could prove to be a huge sliding doors moment in his Fulham career. 7.5/10

Jonah Kusi-Asare

I was really intrigued to see a proper opportunity for Jonah to show what he can do. Unfortunately, he won't feel like he made the most of his start. There were moments, brief moments, where I saw a player. A couple of good runs, including a good leap (but tame header) in the first half, as well as some decent hold-up play. Other than those moments, I saw a lad who isn't quite ready for the big time, and maybe I, and others, should apologise to Marco for berating his reluctance to play him. He looked a bit lost with the ball bouncing off him, loose passes, it wasn't great. I still can absolutely see that he has the potential but right now, he's a long way off it. 5.5/10

Substitutes

Harry Wilson

This felt so much like when your older brother sees you're losing on the Playstation. He tells you not to worry, takes the controller off you and proceeds to slap up your opponent. It's criminal the amount of time he had to slot home the equaliser, but it doesn't make it any less impressive. The assist could have a whole article of its own. My entire social feed is filled with football fans drooling over the outside of the boot ball, and quite rightly, it's obscene. A very important, game changing cameo. What a player. 9/10 - man of the match

Tom Cairney

I'm obviously delighted they didn't, but if Wrexham had managed to sign TC in the summer, they might have been top of the Championship. He made it looks so easy against second in that league, cruising about midfield and swinging the game our way. His assist for ESR's goal is very cute, sliding it through the only gap in that backline. What a lovely renaissance. Also wonderful to see him shove Kevin in front of the Hammersmith End to soak up the adulation after his goal. Mr. Fulham. 8/10

Raul Jimenez

Showed his class once again; he's the perfect role model for Kusi-Asare. He came on and provided a perfect focal point for us to work around. He isn't full of goals, but he facilitates so much, that when he's not on the pitch, you really notice how much less threatening we look. 7/10

Antonee Robinson

After being upstaged by Sess midweek, I think Jedi returned the favour today. We felt more solid at the back and he had more threat going forward. Nearly got a goal, but he is unfortunately dreadful at shooting. Had a classic Jedi run towards the end, winning the ball in our defensive third and leaving everyone in the dust. Blessed to have him and Ryan in the same squad. 7/10

Sander Berge came on too late to warrant a rating.

Marco Silva/Goncalo Santos

Marco serving his touchline ban in the third round of the cup felt like when players get suspended so they can go home for Christmas. It presented a fun opportunity for his deputy to run things from the sidelines, presumably with Marco in his ear the whole time.

The team needed to be rotated, so I can't criticise that, it's just that some players did not perform to the necessary standard. We were outclassed in that first half, so credit to the leadership for making the changes that early, as I'm sure they were reticent to put more minutes into legs. To me, the subs were proof that we're up for the cup, and they swung the game completely. It's job done, which was the main aim, but also in 90 minutes, which was really important. Onto the fourth round! 7.5/10



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/player-ratings-fulham-3-1-middlesbrough

AFCON: Super Eagles soar into Semi-Finals
Nigeria secured their place in the Semi-Finals of AFCON with an impressive 2-0 win over Algeria yesterday.

Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi played the full 90 minutes, with both of our boys receiving praise for their performances.

The tie was goalless at half-time - although Calvin had seen his volley cleared off the line - but Victor Osimhen and Akor Adams were on target after the break to make sure the Super Eagles advanced to the final four.

They'll face hosts Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Wednesday, hoping to reach the final for the second consecutive tournament.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/january/11/afcon-super-eagles-soar-into-semi-finals/

Royal Caribbean Legend of the Match Result: Middlesbrough
Harry Wilson has been named Royal Caribbean Legend of the Match following Fulham's 3-1 win over Middlesbrough in the Emirates FA Cup.

The Whites had fallen behind to their Sky Bet Championship opponents, but the introduction of Wilson as a second-half substitute paid almost immediate dividends.

First, our number eight levelled up the tie with a trademark goal - cutting inside and curling home with his left. Then, after Emile Smith Rowe had put us in front, the Welsh wizard supplied an excellent ball in for Kevin to tap home our third.

Wilson's form has been remarkable of late, claiming ten goal contributions in his last ten games. He's currently sat top of the scoring charts for Fulham with eight goals for the season so far.


34% of the vote belonged to Harry, with fellow goalscorers Smith Rowe (26%) and Kevin (25%) following closely behind.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/january/11/royal-caribbean-legend-of-the-match-result-middlesbrough/

Fulham make decision on future of Tom Cairney
Championship outfit Ipswich Town have suffered a massive blow in their pursuit of Fulham midfielder Tom Cairney.

Ipswich Town are looking at the winter transfer window as an opportunity to further bolster their squad, as they want to secure promotion to the English top flight. They were keen on adding more quality to their midfield and had their eyes set on Tom Cairney.

With his contract running out at the end of the season, Ipswich were hoping to strike a deal with Fulham. However, they have suffered a massive blow in their pursuit as the Cottagers have decided against cashing in on him in the winter transfer window, as per a report from TEAMtalk.

Cairney joined Fulham back in 2015 from Blackburn Rovers, and he has only gone from strength to strength since. He has been one of their mainstays over the years and has earned legendary status at the club over the last decade.

The 34-year-old has featured in over 350 matches for them and has contributed towards 87 goals. While he has had limited game time in the ongoing campaign, Cairney did start their last two outings against Liverpool and Chelsea.

Cairney to continue at Fulham amidst exit links
While limited minutes have resulted in a lot of talk about his future, he remains a very important part of Marco Silva's plans. He was handed a one-year extension last summer, and if he carries on in a similar fashion, Fulham could certainly hand him another short-term deal to continue at Craven Cottage.

Given his contract situation, Ipswich Town were hoping to get their hands on the 34-year-old. They are eyeing an automatic promotion spot and want to bolster their midfield to increase their chances. An experienced campaigner like Cairney could have done wonders for their team.

However, they are unlikely to get their hands on him in this transfer window, as Fulham have no intentions of selling him mid-season. More importantly, the player is happy at the club and doesn't intend to push for a move away anytime soon.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/01/12/fulham-make-decision-on-future-of-tom-cairney/

Marco Silva 'could quit Fulham' and head to Premier League giants
Marco Silva is edging towards leaving Fulham when his contract expires at the end of the year and has his sights set on accepting a new challenge.

That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 48-year-old does not feel he will be adequately backed by the owners.

Fulham have enjoyed a remarkable revival after a slow start to the season, having lost just two of their last ten league games and lifted themselves to ninth place.

However, there is a growing feeling that Silva wants to take a step up to the next level and does not feel he will be able to achieve that with Fulham.

This comes mid speculation that Silva is a contender for the Man United job following their decision to sack Ruben Amorim, although he will face stiff competiton.

Marco Silva could quit Fulham
Brown told Football Insider on 9 December that Silva is considering his options and could quit Fulham amid ongoing doubts about signing a new deal.

The former scout, who has a wealth of experience working alongside elite-level managers including Sir Alex Ferguson for over a decade at Man United, insisted that the Fulham boss is currently leaning towards leaving Craven Cottage.

"The situation at Fulham is one to watch," he told Football Insider.

"They're having a good spell at the moment, getting some good results and so there's been a lot of talk about a few of their players and especially the manager.

"He's out of contract at the end of the year and I get the feeling he's going to move on.

"Silva wants to make that next step in his career, he wants to go up to that next level, and from what I hear he doesn't think he can do that at Fulham.

"He doesn't get the necessary support or funding from the board to improve his team, so they're always going to be good but not good enough.

"There will be opportunities for him to go elsewhere because he's a good manager, and I think that will be tempting for him.

"I don't expect him to sign a new contract there now, I think he'll be assessing his options and thinking it's time to make that step up."

Who will be the next permanent Man United manager?
Silva is not the only contender being considered by Man United, although they will first appoint an interim manager before a permanent decision is made in the summer.

In the meantime, Football Insider revealed that Man United are likely to appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the interim manager until the end of the season.

The decision to bring in an interim manager will give them time to assess a number of options, with more high-value targets expected to emerge later down the line.

Football Insider revealed on 11 January that Man United are lining up a "top-class" manager to become their next permanent boss following an interim spell.

Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola, of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth respectively, are both leading contenders for the position at Old Trafford.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/marco-silva-could-quit-fulham-and-head-to-premier-league-giants/

Harry Wilson tipped to make sensational Liverpool return after 'surprise' twist
Liverpool have been tipped to make a move to re-sign Harry Wilson as they are among a number of top sides alerted to his potential availability.

That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the 28-year-old's performances have placed him on the Reds' radar.

Wilson came through the academy at Anfield, joining the club aged eight, before his move to Fulham in 2022 following six loan spells away from the club.

However, his performances for Marco Silva's side so far this season have seen him backed for a big move in a low-risk move given his contract situation.

The 28-year-old has just six months remaining on his contract at Fulham, and has a combined 11 goals and assists in 20 Premier League appearances this term.

Liverpool tipped to re-sign Harry Wilson
Brown told Football Insider on 7 January that Wilson is attracting high-profile interest which could see rival clubs move ahead of Leeds in the race to agree terms.

The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted Liverpool could take a punt on Wilson should he prove he can keep up his outstanding form.

"Harry Wilson is going to be one to watch," he told Football Insider.

"He's showing this season what he can do when he's at his best, and that's alerted a lot of clubs to his situation. I think Liverpool could be among them.

"It might be a surprise, but they've got the Salah situation going on in the background, and they've been looking to strengthen on the wing, so they could do worse than bringing Wilson back.

"He's not a flashy name and it's not necessarily the type of deal that would excite the fans, but he's proving to be every bit as good as other names they've considered.

"If he can keep this form up until the end of the season and he decides not to re-sign with Fulham, it would be a low-risk option on a free transfer.

"Liverpool have spent a lot of money on big-name players who haven't lived up to expectation, maybe taking a step away from that is exactly what they need."

Liverpool eye Wilson among elite attacking targets
While a return for Wilson would come as a surprise to many, he is seen as a low-risk alternative to many of Arne Slot's high-profile and big-money attacking targets.

Brown told Football Insider last month that Liverpool would make efforts to sign Antoine Semenyo, but he is now closing in on a move to rivals Man City.

Meanwhile, the likes of Anthony Gordon and Yankuba Minteh have also been considered at Anfield, with their list of Premier League-proven targets growing.

This comes amid speculation about the long-term future of Mohamed Salah, who is currently at AFCON with Egypt, after his public falling-out with Slot.

Football Insider revealed on 7 December that Salah's exit is off the cards in January despite the fall-out, but could be revisited in the summer.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/harry-wilson-tipped-to-make-sensational-liverpool-return-after-surprise-twist/