Stoke City drawn in the FA Cup Fourth Round
Fulham will travel to Stoke in the Fourth Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
The Potters currently sit eighth in the Sky Bet Championship, and reached this stage of the competition thanks to an impressive 1-0 win over table-topping Coventry.
The tie will be played at the bet365 Stadium on the weekend of Saturday 14th February, with fixture and ticket details to be confirmed in due course.
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/january/12/stoke-city-drawn-in-the-fa-cup-fourth-round/
Fulham €25m bid confirmed publicly – Marco Silva hit by transfer fate and wait
As fans will be aware, Fulham have made an attempt to sign PSV Eindhoven's Ricardo Pepi in the winter market.
On New Year's Eve, Eindhovens Dagblad reported Marco Silva's side would return after PSV rejected their initial bid of around €30-35m.
Last week, PSV technical director Earnest Stewart confirmed he'd rejected a Fulham bid for the striker.
He didn't mention a figure but insisted the London club would have to pay much more for him to consider a sale. Two days later, journalist Mounir Boualin stated PSV want €45m for the attacker.
Marcel Brands, the Dutch club's general manager and the guy really in charge, has been a guest on ESPN's Goedemorgen Eredivisie. He talked about Fulham's offer and Voetbal Primeur have relayed his comments.
ESPN NL analyst Hans Kraay Jr. specifically asked Brands whether the Premier League side have offered €30m for Pepi.
Responding to that, he said: "No, €25m."
"Earnest will be in touch with me, but we don't have to think about that. We don't want to sell anyone in the winter. There's no financial need for it, and we want to become champions. That's the most important thing."
Fulham transfer likely on hold until summer
Marcel Brands sent a message to the English club on what they need to do to sign the 23-year-old American in January.
Brands explained: "We're thinking: if there are bids in the winter, it's a no. Unless something really exorbitant comes along that you have to discuss and think about. Even then, it will depend on whether you can find a replacement, but in principle, it's a no."
Neither Brands nor Stewards [last week] have mentioned their actual request for Pepi. Earlier claims have cited €45m as his price.
On Saturday, the American scored his 11th goal of the season in PSV's 5-1 win over Excelsior Rotterdam. Three minutes after scoring, Pepi was forced off the pitch due to an injury.
According to ED, Pepi underwent surgery on Sunday and will be out for seven weeks. This is a blow Silva and Fulham in their efforts to sign him in January, and the move will likely be paused until summer.
https://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-e25m-bid-confirmed-publicly-marco-silva-hit-by-transfer-fate-and-wait/
Watching Fulham's Super Eagles soar in Morocco
Stephen shares his experience after watching the Naija Whites live in the AFCON quarter-finals.
It's my annual winter blues-beating trip to North Africa, and when Morocco is announced as the home of AFCON for 2025/26, I can hardly believe my luck.
Having booked my tickets to the quarter-final far in advance, I was overjoyed when it was confirmed that the Marrakech date would see Algeria facing Nigeria, a country so closely linked to our beloved Fulham through a plethora of talented footballers.
Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukweuze all made this year's squad, alongside former Fulham face Ademola Lookman. Ola Aina, another fan favourite from the past, is currently out of the side with injury.
Armed with my knock-off Nigerian replica top that I haggled in the market square (and probably still paid too much for) I find myself in the back of a tuk tuk en route to the Grande Stade de Marrakech, a 45,000 seater stadium nine kilometers from the city centre.
The roads are manic, busy with motorbikes, horns tooting, everyone in a mad rush to witness the big occasion. Shirts and supporters from all over Africa are cheering in their respective jerseys, though there is no sense of hostility or rivalry, just a union of people together ready to witness the special occasion that is football. I even spotted the very rare sight of another Fulham fan and, somehow, that dashing barcode kit of West Bromwich Albion.
Iwobi and Bassey make the starting line-up, and after more security checks then West Ham away, I make it just in time for kick-off. With a mixed-seater stadium completely dominated by Algerian fans, which makes sense given the extremely close vicinity of the country, I moved myself towards a group of Super Eagles supporters behind the goal. Armed with a lively band and horns, making more noise than the de-facto "home" crowd , it felt just like following Fulham away
Five minutes in, and Bassey, who chooses to have his first name written on his back for international duty, has managed to shoulder barge an opposition player so hard they fall to the sidelines, taking the assistant referee out in the process. No foul, just the brute strength we love to see from our centre-back.
If Bassey stands out for his power among the physicality of the Premier League, then in AFCON he takes it to another level! Shortly after Calvin nearly sticks one home at the back post, which is cleared off the line, so close it required an extended VAR check to determine that the entire ball hadn't crossed over.
Iwobi, playing in the centre of the park, was pulling all of the strings across the entire match. He looked so comfortable in possession, passing with calmness and confidence, naturally completing the most passes out of all the players on the pitch. Watching him link up with the likes of Victor Osimhen, who opened the scoring to make it 1-0, was an absolute joy as Nigeria dominated from start to finish. If Marco Silva could just have a word with the Khan's about signing him for Fulham... that would be great. Too optimistic?
With slick passing from back to front, and an intense non-stop press, Nigeria managed to reduce Algeria to just three shots all match, all of which were off target. It was no surprise when Akor Adams provided the second goal for the Super Eagles to kill the game, rounding up a bad day at the office for Algeria as Riyad Mahrez failed to inspire his side to victory, or even a close competitive match.
It was great to see Ademola Lookman who was very lively in his creative attacking midfield role, leaps and bounds above his performances for Fulham under Scott Parker. Another 'what if?' player from that era to add to the list. Unfortunately there was no game time for Samuel Chukweuze on this occasion. It was also a fun surprise to see Zinedine Zidane's son Luca in goal for Algeria, no headbutts this time, but there was a large scrap at the end of the game!
As the final whistle blew the celebrations lasted long into the evening, with the Nigerian band taking the music to another level, the stewards had to strongly encourage the fans to eventually leave and it was like one giant party that bled out into the streets long afterwards.
AFCON as a whole has been a hugely positive experience so far, and at club level, Fulham have found more than capable replacements for our absentees. The likes of Jorge Cuenca, Tom Cairney and Harrison Reed, who have been rightfully champing at the bit for more game-time, have stepped up when it matters most, with results being largely unaffected. If Nigeria can go on to win the final, and our players remain injury-free, it would be the perfect tournament.
If you haven't watched any AFCON matches yet, I would highly recommend tuning in to the finals, and of course, routing for the Fulham boys before they return to Craven Cottage.
https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/watching-fulhams-super-eagles-soar
Benda returns to Fulham
Steven Benda has returned to Fulham after spending the first half of the season on loan at Millwall.
Benda made 10 appearances during his time at the Den.
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/january/12/benda-returns-to-fulham/
Out-of-contract Arsenal talent plays for Fulham u21s
Out-of-contract Arsenal academy youngster Dan Casey made an appearance for the Fulham u21s on Friday as he continues the hunt for a new club.
Arsenal youth product Dan Casey came to the end of his contract last summer, but the club offered him fresh terms to extend his stay in north London.
Casey turned the offer down amid rival proposals from the likes of Crystal Palace, but Arsenal still had to reach an agreement with Palace over compensation for the midfielder.
Unlike with free agents over the age of 23, who can simply switch team without a fee, youth players like Casey with a contract offer on the table require their old club to be compensated.
As a result, even though Casey was keen on – and agreed – a move to Palace, the club ended up pulling out of the signing after negotiations with Arsenal.
Reports had suggested that Palace and Arsenal had already agreed a compensation fee, so quite why Palace pulled out remains a mystery. Perhaps they simply decided moving forward with the agreed package no longer felt worth it.
The result is that Casey has been left in limbo, not contracted to Arsenal but unable to sign for a new club unless that club agrees terms with the Gunners first.
Such an agreement may now be in the works, with Casey training with fellow London club Fulham last week before playing for their u21s on a trial basis on Friday.
Casey came on as a substitute in a 2-1 win over Ipswich Town, playing 21 minutes of the match.
Whether Fulham look to progress Casey's trial to a professional contract remains to be seen, but Arsenal will be pleased he's playing again.
The Gunners would ideally have liked him to return to the club and sign their contract offer, but that's seemed improbable for a while now.
Casey scored 21 goals for the Arsenal u18s in 2024/25, netting 18 times in 21 games in the u18 Premier League, twice in three games in the FA Youth Cup, and once in two u18 Premier League Cup appearances.
The teenager also made the step up to the u19s and the u21s on eight occasions, though he was less impactful in those limited minutes, with no goals or assists above u18 football so far.
https://dailycannon.com/2026/01/casey-arsenal-fulham/
Leeds United handed confidence warning over £47m duo ahead of Fulham clash
Leeds United will face Premier League rivals Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
Fulham manager Marco Silva believes two of his key creative talents are showing an improvement in form as they prepare to visit Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.
The Cottagers have enjoyed a largely positive season so far and will travel to Elland Road looking to secure a win that could take them into the top five of the Premier League table. Silva's men are one of the most in-form sides in the top flight after their recent home win against West London rivals Chelsea extended their unbeaten league run to a sixth game and sparked some hopes a genuine push for Europe could be on the agenda between now and the end of the season.
There was another positive for Silva and his players as they came from a goal down to see off Championship promotion contenders Middlesbrough in an FA Cup third round tie on Saturday afternoon. Highly-rated midfielder Hayden Hackney fired Boro in front on the half-hour mark - but goals from reported Leeds transfer target Harry Wilson and Emile Smith-Rowe turned the game on its head. That set the scene for Brazilian winger Kevin to seal the win for the Cottagers as the club record signing fired home his first goal for the club deep in injury-time to earn major praise from his manager as he turns his attention towards this weekend's visit to Elland Road.
Speaking after Saturday's FA Cup win against Boro, Silva said of two of his most creative players: "He (Kevin) was looking for it. The way his teammates celebrated with him, the fans, it was very important for him. If you are an offensive player, you need these type of moments, to be decisive with assists or goals. Before in some games, he had good chances but didn't score. Last game against Chelsea, he had a very good moment as well - he didn't score.
"Even this game, before the goal he had a great shot when he cut in and unfortunately for him it didn't go in. It's important. What an assist from Harry Wilson, what a brilliant moment again. I hope that can help him to be confident in those last moments because we need him in the best confidence. The talent is there, it's just for us to keep trusting in the process with him to develop him."
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-united-fulham-premier-league-5472139
Marco Silva salutes the 'big impact' of his substitutes against Middlesbrough
The Fulham head coach commented on progress in cup competition.
Marco Silva spoke about a 3-1 win against Middlesbrough for Fulham in the FA Cup.
The Cottagers went behind in the first half at Craven Cottage against the outfit who are in second spot in the Championship. However, with some changes, they responded to the deficit and booked a place in the fourth round of the cup competition as they seek another deep run in the tournament.
"First half, we didn't play at our best level, definitely. It was slow. Off the ball, we were too open in some moments, not compact and narrow enough. On the ball, we did not have the normal dynamic that we have to be able to create much more chances. I told the players at half-time what we should have done differently. Of course, we changed for the second-half and we won the game and I think we deserved it."
"The changes made a big impact. Players that are playing with top confidence like Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson.
"The energy from Antonee Robinson helped the team. It's very difficult. Today's the fourth game in ten days we have played. Some of the guys like Emile Smith Rowe, for example, I knew that that the dynamic is not going to be the same. He made a massive effort to be there and to be decisive again.
"It's always tricky to go from Chelsea and Liverpool to play against a very good side from the Championship.
"Part of our preparation was in that direction - to not underestimate them, to not allow them to think it's guaranteed for us to be in the next round, because I know how this competition is if you're not at your best level. In the second-half we were, and of course when we are at our best level, our collective quality and individual quality got us on top and because of that, we won."
https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2026/01/11/fulham/1247033-marco-silva-salutes-the-big-impact-of-his-substitutesagainst-middlesbroughthe-fulham-head-coach-commented-on-progress-in-cup-competition.html
'To Have That' - Ex-Leeds United Star Sees Pre-Fulham BenefitFormer Leeds United star Matt Kilgallon believes a week's rest before their next game will do Daniel Farke's men the world of good following a busy Christmas period of games.
Leeds emerged from the busy festive fixture list by beating Championship side Derby County 3-1 in their FA Cup third round fixture at Pride Park on Sunday.
The game against second tier opposition gave boss Farke a chance to rest some overworked first-team stars, as had been predicted by one Leeds legend.
Pascal Struijk, Anton Stach, Lucas Perri, Brenden Aaronson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were all named on the bench for the meeting with the Rams.
Joel Piroe got a rare start and did so well that one former Leeds star now believes the club should not be looking at letting him go this month.
Since the start of December, Leeds have played nine games in all competitions, often featuring in three game weeks, and their form has been positive, building a gap over the bottom three in the Premier League.
Farke's much applauded switch to a back three, which has resulted in a great run of form, has seen the German maintain a consistent starting eleven.
Last three Leeds United-Fulham meetings| Result | Competition |
| Fulham 1-0 Leeds United | Premier League |
| Fulham 2-1 Leeds United | Premier League |
| Fulham 2-0 Leeds Unitedt | FA Cup |
Despite few changes to his starting eleven, the German's bench options have come on and made a massive impact for Leeds, in the view of Whites legend Nigel Martyn.
With a week's gap before the next fixture against Fulham on Saturday, former Leeds defender Kilgallon believes it will be a great time for players with a few knocks to rest up.
Kilgallon heaped praise on Farke's side for the great performances during the past month, crediting the players for the positive outlook after the festive period.
"They have had load of games", Kilgallon said on LUTV (23:32).
"Christmas time, start of January is always busy and they have done great from it.
"They really have come out and it looks more positive now.
"Lads that a have few knocks now can rest up.
"But it is always nice to have that week, little bit of a breather, a couple of days off maybe."
He added that there will be a buzz at the club with the break, after finishing off the busy period with an FA Cup victory.
"It is a buzz about the place, another good win and a great way to finish all them fixtures now with another nice FA Cup run."
Leeds are yet to make any changes in their squad during the ongoing winter window, but there has been interest in defender Sebastiaan Bornauw.
His departure could well see a fresh defensive face and Leeds are keen on Union Berlin defender Danilho Doekhi, who has six months left on his contract.
It remains to be seen if Leeds bring in a new signing before they host high-flying Fulham on Saturday.
https://insidefutbol.com/2026/01/12/to-have-that-former-leeds-united-star-sees-pre-fulham-benefit/703016/