Friends of Fulham

Sources: 28-yr-old undergoing Middlesbrough medical today after bid accepted

Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is undergoing a medical at Middlesbrough today as he puts the finishing touches to a season-long loan move, Football Insider understands.

Bettinelli, 28, is due on Teesside to finalise the transfer after Fulham accepted Boro's loan bid.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider the north-east outfit will pay a fix-figure sum to take the keeper for the 2020-21 campaign.

Neil Warnock has long made it a priority to bring in a new keeper and he is set to make proven performer Bettinelli his first choice in goal.

The Cottagers academy product may have played his last game for his boyhood club as his contract is due to expire next summer.

He has made 120 appearances for Fulham since graduating from their youth team, conceding 159 goals and keeping 31 clean sheets.

Bettinelli played second fiddle to Slovakian Marel Rodak for most of the London club's Championship promotion campaign.

The more senior man began the season in goal and started 14 of Fulham's first 15 league games.

But Rodak then took over from Bettinelli and did not lose his grip on the number one shirt for the rest of the campaign.

Leaving Fulham will be a strange experience for the former England Under-21 international.

He joined the Cottagers as a 14-year-old and worked his way through the ranks before establishing himself in the senior set-up.

Bettinelli has previously had loan spells at Accrington Stanley and Dartford Town.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-28-yr-old-undergoing-middlesbrough-medical-today-after-bid-accepted/

Report: Fulham want PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on loan

According to Sky Sports, Fulham are in talks with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain about bringing goalkeeper Alphonse Areola to Craven Cottage this summer on a season-long loan.

The France international spent last season on loan at Real Madrid in a deal that saw Keylor Navas move the other way, but he is back at PSG after it ended.

The French giants want Areola's £100,000-a-week wages off their bill as they are well-stocked in the department, and Fulham appear keen.

The newly-promoted Premier League side want a new goalie and have already been linked with Tottenham Hotspur's Paulo Gazzaniga.

Areola made nine appearances for Madrid last season and has been linked with Arsenal.

The Gunners could be without Emiliano Martinez who is looking to leave if he isn't guaranteed the number 1 spot, and the club could look to land the PSG man as a replacement.

The 27-year-old will want to be first-choice at his next club, and Fulham are willing to offer him that opportunity.

They will likely be paying just half of his current wages should a loan move work out, and having such a quality goalkeeper will play a huge role in boosting their survival chances in 2020-21 and going forward.



https://sportslens.com/report-fulham-want-psg-goalkeeper-alphonse-areola-on-loan/312378/

Fulham hope to 'seduce' player, initiated contacts with agent – Two factors favour Cottagers in transfer race

Fulham hope to 'seduce' Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola this summer, according to L'Equipe.

It's claimed the newly promoted Premier League club are looking to strengthen their goalkeeping position in the ongoing market as Marek Rodák's displays have not been entirely satisfactory.

Therefore, the Cottagers have set their sights on the France international and have initiated contacted with his agent, Mino Raiola. He's valued around €8-10m.

Apart from Fulham, Rennes are also interested in the keeper, and they can offer him Champions League football. Despite this, the English club have significant advantages over the Ligue 1 side when it comes to signing Areola.

The PSG custodian recently bought a house in the English capital and the possibility of living in London pleases both the player and his wife.

Areola earns €700,000 per month and Scott Parker's side can afford to meet his current wages, which Rennes may not be able to offer. These two arguments favour Fulham over the French club.

L'Equipe, however, are of the belief joining Rennes over Fulham would improve the stopper's chances of making it to the France squad for next summer's European championship.

TuttoMercatoWeb also report Fulham are interested in Areola, but on a loan deal. They state the player has 'received a proposal' from the English club.

It's claimed Areola purchasing a house in the English capital could be a 'determining factor' for him to pick Parker's side over other suitors like AC Milan and Rennes.

After spending the last two campaigns in the French and Spanish capitals, TMW add Areola is 'ready to play in another European capital' next season.

Areola is aware he will not have opportunities at Parc des Princes after the Ligue 1 winners completed Sergio Rico's signing on a permanent transfer.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-hope-to-seduce-player-initiated-contacts-with-agent-two-factors-favour-cottagers-in-transfer-race/

Games for the Weekend 12/09
We're back in the Premiership!, and for our first game we welcome Arsenal to the Cottage for a 12:30 kick off.
My very first Fulham game was against Arsenal, New Years Day 1966, we won that 1-0 and I was hooked!
Now we're back in the Premiership, let's hope that we've learned some of the lessons from last time?, and this season we prove to be more of a contest, 80+ goals against can't be repeated.
So far we've not gone overboard with the spending, the "window" remains open until October so there's still time?
It'll be interesting to see if any of the "new" players will either start or even be on the team sheet, Antonee Robinson, Mario Lemina, Harrison Reed, so glad he signed, and who they'll replace? I wonder if Anguissa will get a game now that he's returned from loan?, there's been no mention of Seri returning.
With little time "pre-season" I just hope that they'll have had enough time to adapt to Fulham. If we do sign anyone else before the end of the week I can't see them starting against Arsenal.

Our record against Arsenal isn't too good, 8 wins, 10 draws and 39 losses, Arsenal have won the last 5 scoring 15 and conceding only 3...
time to put that right!

COYW's

Games of Interest...
Saturday 12th
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds
Spurs v Everton
West Ham v Newcastle

Monday 14th
Brighton v Chelsea

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come on over to the forum and join in the discussion...
https://www.friendsoffulham.com/forum/index.php?board=1.0



http://www.friendsoffulham.com/wordpress/?p=1315

Fulham keeper undergoes Boro medical as transfer terms are agreed

Middlesbrough have agreed a deal with Fulham to take goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli on loan for the season.

Bettinelli has sunk down the pecking order at Craven Cottage with Marek Rodak firmly established as their No 1.

The one-time England squad man, however, now is set to get the chance for regular football at The Riverside.

Boro boss Neil Warnock has three goalkeepers in his squad. However, Dejan Stojanovic, Ainsley Pears and Tomas Mejias, we can reveal, have all been told can move on.

Stojanovic only arrived at the club in January in a deal worth over £1million. Pears is a graduate of Boro's highly acclaimed academy. They shared the goalkeeping responsibilities under Warnock – but seemingly neither impressed.

Pears has just one year left on his current deal, and the offer of a new contract is no longer on the table.

Spaniard Mejias, in his second spell at the club, is also free to move on.

Boro also have highly-rated Sol Brynn – who has just penned his first professional deal – and the 19-year-old could very well find himself as No 2 to Bettinelli this season.




https://www.teamtalk.com/news/fulham-keeper-undergoes-boro-medical-transfer-terms-agreed

Chelsea, Fulham battle for PSG keeper who has bought house in London

Chelsea have identified Alphonse Areola as an alternative goalkeeper target to Edouard Mendy, according to reports in France.

The Blues have spent heavily on outfield players this summer but still need to address their problems in goal.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has not lived up to expectations since his world record move for a goalkeeper two years ago. Therefore, Chelsea want more competition for him.

Reports on Monday indicated that they were closing in on the signing of Mendy from Rennes. Petr Cech has played a key role in persuading them to target him.

It has even been claimed that Rennes have already lined up a replacement for Mendy, in the shape of Alphonse Areola. However, Le10 Sport now claim he is an option for Chelsea as well.

The French outlet claims that Thiago Silva could help lure Areola to Chelsea. Silva has signed on at Stamford Bridge after leaving Paris Saint-Germain – Areola's current club.

Therefore, the report speculates that Silva could act as an "intermediary" to help Chelsea sign Areola.

The French World Cup winner spent three seasons as Silva's teammate in the PSG first team, in between a series of loan spells.

Fulham interested in Areola

Elsewhere, though, Sky Sports claim that Areola is a transfer target for Fulham, who regained promotion to the Premier League this year.

Fulham would reportedly like to take Areola on loan for the season. There is no room for the goalkeeper back at PSG, who have Keylor Navas and, coincidentally, former Fulham loanee Sergio Rico, as their current options in goal.

Hence, the French shot-stopper is likely to leave in search of more gametime. And London could be a likely destination, after his wife revealed recently that they had bought a house in the English capital.

Fulham can offer Areola a bigger salary than Rennes, who will need a strong goalkeeper if they sell Mendy. However, unlike Fulham, the Ligue 1 outfit will play in the Champions League this season.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/chelsea-fulham-target-psg-keeper-alphonse-areola

Fulham stopper Ashby-Hammond rejoins Maidenhead on loan

Maidenhead United have signed Fulham goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond on loan.

The 21-year-old twice joined Alan Devonshire's side on loan last season, playing 22 times for the Magpies in total.

Ashby-Hammond has also represented England at youth level in his early career to date.

He kept five clean sheets for Maidenhead during 2019/20.



https://nonleaguedaily.com/fulham-stopper-ashby-hammond-rejoins-maidenhead-on-loan/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fulham-stopper-ashby-hammond-rejoins-maidenhead-on-loan

Premier League preview: Will Fulham be any different this time?

James Andrew focuses on life at Craven Cottage, asking whether or not fortunes have changed for Fulham in the past two seasons

The FourFourTwo Season Preview 2020/21 is on sale in shops and online now

Everyone remembers the headlines from Fulham's last summer going into a Premier League season. In 2018, the Cottagers became the first promoted side to spend £100 million in one transfer window, signing 12 players in an ominous shopping spree. It's fair to say things didn't go well after that.

Before we look at why this time will be different for Fulham, now under the management of Scott Parker, let's first dispel some myths that haunted them the last time they came up. Yes, they signed 12 players in that sad summer. And yes, collectively, they cost over £100m in fees. But it was done out of necessity.

The team that achieved promotion via the play-offs in 2018 was built on loanees – six, to be precise – and right-back Ryan Fredericks then joined West Ham on a free transfer. By July 1, 2018, the Cottagers were left with 14 first-team players, making a last-minute dash in the reduced aisle both inevitable and essential.

So, why will it be different this time around? For starters, Fulham's squad is more settled. Key players such as top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and captain Tom Cairney are tied down to longer-term deals, and Harrison Reed, Ivan Cavaleiro, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Anthony Knockaert have had loan contracts made permanent.

Although Parker will need to add to his squad, the astute 39-year-old will look to bring in depth and experience as opposed to a trolly full of signings. The key for Parker and those in charge of transfers – Tony Khan and Javier Pereira – is to sign the right characters this time, so as not to disrupt the spirit that the manager has built up in the dressing room.

Under Slavisa Jokanovic, Fulham played attractive football that won admirers in the Championship, but once in the Premier League they were leakier than
a troubled pensioner, conceding 81 goals under Jokanovic, Claudio Ranieri and Parker.

With the latter in the role full-time, though, they're more pragmatic and should have learned lessons from last time. In the second tier, at least, Fulham looked far more capable of soaking up pressure and hitting opposition sides on the counter-attack.

Parker himself has offered pleasing promise and improved tactically as last season wore on, to see his side successfully through the play-offs against tough foes. Surviving the Premier League will be another challenge entirely, and any Cottager would snap your hand off right now for a finish of 17th – but, one way or another, things will be different this time.



https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/premier-league-preview-will-fulham-be-any-different-this-time

Fulham Contact Super Agent In Goalkeeper Hunt

Fulham have initiated contact with super agent Mino Raiola to probe the possibility of signing Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola this summer.

Areola spent last season on a loan at Real Madrid and has dropped down the pecking order at PSG ahead of the start of the new campaign.

PSG are prepared to sell and the player is aware that he needs to move on to play regular first-team football in the 2020/21 season.

Rennes are interested in signing him as the replacement for Edouard Mendy, who is expected to join Chelsea in the ongoing transfer window.

But the French club are set to face competition from England for his services as, according to French sports daily L'Equipe, Fulham are interested in taking Areola to the Premier League.

The Cottagers have touched base with Raiola to register their interest in the goalkeeper and are serious about signing him.

They are prepared to offer a fee in the region of around €8m to €10m to take the Frenchman to Craven Cottage in the ongoing window.

Rennes have the advantage of being in the Champions League next season, but it has been claimed that Areola and his family are tempted by the opportunity of life in London if they join Fulham.

Fulham are also in a position to offer better wages to Areola compared to the amount he would earn at Rennes.



https://insidefutbol.com/2020/09/08/fulham-contact-super-agent-in-goalkeeper-hunt/471259/

Rhys's Pieces: Back where we belong?

As Scott Parker's Fulham squad continues to take shape with the arrivals of Antonee Robinson, Mario Lemina and Harrison Reed, Rhys Daly scrutinises how the Whites have performed in the Premier League since the 1992 rebrand – and where they stand in the all-time table.

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By the time the 2020/21 Premier League season comes to an end in May, only 13 clubs would have spent more time in the top flight than Fulham since the division was rebranded back in 1992.

The Whites are about to take their place in the most watched league on the planet for a 15th occasion since winning the old Division 1 in 2001, having spent 31 consecutive years in the lower leagues.

Although the bookies expect Scott Parker's side to return to the Championship immediately, the team spirit that helped them past favourites Brentford at Wembley could go a long way to securing safety.

Below is a short review of each top-flight Fulham season in recent memory, which might provide the squad inspiration ahead of the visit of Arsenal on September 12.

2001/02

Manager: Jean Tigana

League Position: 13th

Top Scorer: Barry Hayles & Louis Saha & Steed Malbranque – 8

W/D/L: 10/14/14

FA Cup: Semi-finals

League Cup: Fourth round

Fulham's first season back in the top flight proved to be a very successful one under the guidance of Jean Tigana and watchful eye of Mohamed Al-Fayed.

The Whites would go on to climb as high as seventh before settling to a finish of 13th, having welcomed the likes of Edwin van Der Sar and Steed Malbranque the preceding summer.

Barry Hayles and Louis Saha adjusted well to the Premier League and managed eight goals apiece, and the club even managed to secure European qualification via the Intertoto Cup.

The likes of Alain Goma, Sylvain Legwinski, John Collins, Andy Melville and Steve Finnan proved to be key players under Tigana in season, which included a heartbreaking FA Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Chelsea at Villa Park.

2002/03

Manager: Jean Tigana followed by Chris Coleman

League Position: 14th

Top Scorer: Steed Malbranque – 6

W/D/L: 13/9/16

FA Cup: Fifth round

League Cup: Fourth round

UEFA Intertoto Cup: Winners

UEFA Cup: Third round

Fulham's second season in the top flight proved to be slightly more turbulent, and Tigana would end up leaving his role before the final few games of the campaign.

Before that however, the club hit the ground running with four wins from the opening eight games, which were followed by notable victories over Tottenham and Liverpool.

The likes of Facundo Sava and Junichi Inamoto linked up with the club in the summer, and helped Fulham to victory in the Intertoto Cup and into the third round of the UEFA Cup.

In the league, Fulham finished 14th with 13 wins and nine draws, an improvement of four points from the previous season.

2003/04

Manager: Chris Coleman

League Position: 9th

Top Scorer: Louis Saha – 13

W/D/L: 14/10/14

FA Cup: Quarter-finals

League Cup: Second round

Former Fulham defender Chris Coleman would prove to be a fine appointment from Al-Fayed in what was the unenviable task of replacing the successful Tigana.

Coleman led the club to a ninth-placed finish in his first season as boss, during which Saha found his feet with an impressive 15 goals before joining Manchester United in January.

Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Moritz Volz and Collins John all joined during the campaign, and Fulham would once again improve on their previous finish by four points.

There were also a notable 3-1 win over United at Old Trafford, and another quarter-final appearance in the FA Cup.

2004/05

Manager: Chris Coleman

League Position: 13th

Top Scorer: Andy Cole – 12

W/D/L: 12/8/18

FA Cup: Fifth round

League Cup: Quarter-finals

Andy Cole would prove to be a major summer signing for Coleman in another solid outing in the top flight for Fulham.

The former Manchester United and Newcastle United striker managed 12 goals in the league as the replacement for Saha, as Malbranque and Luis Boa Morte continued to influence the side going forward.

In what has proved to be a memorable victory, Fulham beat Norwich City 6-0 on a final day in which the Canaries needed three points to avoid relegation.

Cole would go on to leave in the summer to join Manchester City, but that didn't stop Fulham from improving the following year.

2005/06

Manager: Chris Coleman

League Position: 12th

Top Scorer: Collins John – 11

W/D/L: 14/6/18

FA Cup: Third round

League Cup: Third round

In what would prove to be Coleman's final full season as Fulham manager, Collins John emerged as a key player with 11 league goals.

A difficult start did see the Whites drop into the bottom three after eight matches, but four wins from their last five helped a jump of four places into 12th.

There were also wins over both Liverpool and Chelsea, the latter of which being Fulham's only win over their west London rivals since 1980.

A points tally of 48 was another solid return, but the season was tarnished by cup defeats at the hands of Lincoln City and West Bromwich Albion.

2006/07

Manager: Chris Coleman followed by Lawrie Sanchez

League Position: 16th

Top Scorer: Brian McBride – 9

W/D/L: 8/15/15

FA Cup: Fifth round

League Cup: Second round

Fulham struggled to reach their former heights in a season that included the sacking of Coleman and appointment of Lawrie Sanchez.

The goals of Brian McBride proved to be vital as the Whites stayed in the division by just one point, with the club also agreeing to the sale of club legend Boa Morte.

Jimmy Bullard, Clint Dempsey and Simon Davies were welcomed before Coleman left in April, and the last gasp survival saw Sanchez handed a three-year deal.

As well at Boa Morte, Legwinski and Malbranque also found new clubs in Ipswich and Tottenham, the latter making over 200 appearances for Fulham.

2007/08

Manager: Lawrie Sanchez followed by Roy Hodgson

League Position: 17th

Top Scorer: Clint Dempsey – 6

W/D/L: 8/12/18

FA Cup: Third round

League Cup: Third round

The tenure of Sanchez would prove to disastrous despite the decent arrivals of Chris Baird, Aaron Hughes and Paul Konchesky among others.

The Northern Irishman was sacked in December following a run of two wins in the opening 16 matches of the campaign.

Roy Hodgson would prove to be an inspired appointment, and he went on to guide the club to four wins in their last six matches in what was a truly memorable Great Escape.

From being 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go at Manchester City, Fulham won 3-2 thanks to Danny Murphy and a double from Diomansy Kamara – going on to win against both Birmingham and Portsmouth to stay up.

2008/09

Manager: Roy Hodgson

League Position: 7th

Top Scorer: Andy Johnson – 7

W/D/L: 14/11/13

FA Cup: Quarter-finals

League Cup: Third round

Fulham were well placed to climb up the Premier League table in 2008/09 thanks to the inspired work of Hodgson at the end of the previous campaign.

It would prove to be a record season for the club, which ended in a historic finish of seventh in the most competitive league on the planet.

Andy Johnson managed seven league goals as a solid defensive unit was formed between Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes.

Notable wins were managed over Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City, with Fulham finishing above Spurs and City to qualify for the Europa League third qualifying round.

2009/10

Manager: Roy Hodgson

League Position: 12th

Top Scorer: Bobby Zamora – 8

W/D/L: 12/10/16

FA Cup: Sixth round

League Cup: Third round

Europa League: Runners-up

Although Fulham secured another solid Premier League finish of 12th in 2009/10, it was to be the unlikely Europa League journey that stole the limelight.

Hodgson's side won 11 of their 18 fixtures on the continent to reach the final against Atletico Madrid, coming up short after extra-time despite an inspired display.

Bobby Zamora managed eight goals in the league and 19 in all competitions, helping the Whites to 46 points and memorable wins over Liverpool and Manchester United.

Hodgson would go on to leave the club after being contacted by Liverpool, and his successor would not prove to be quite so likeable at Craven Cottage.

2010/11

Manager: Mark Hughes

League Position: 8th

Top Scorer: Clint Dempsey – 12

W/D/L: 11/16/11

FA Cup: Fifth round

League Cup: Third round

Clint Dempsey took on the role of star player under new manager Mark Hughes in 2010/11.

In a rather unusual start to the season Fulham drew six of their first seven matches either side of a win over Wolves.

Hughes' side managed to improve during the final few months to climb up to eighth, their second ever highest finish in the top flight.

11 wins and 11 defeats were joined by 16 draws, which was more than any other side in the league that season – after which Hughes left the club and cited a lack of ambition, before being relegated with QPR.

The former Wales striker was labelled as a "strange man" and a "flop" by Al-Fayed, and the former City boss has since mentioned his time of leaving as a mistake.

2011/12

Manager: Martin Jol

League Position: 9th

Top Scorer: Clint Dempsey – 17

W/D/L: 14/10/14

FA Cup: Fourth round

League Cup: Third round

Europa League: Group stages

Al-Fayed finally got his hands on former Tottenham boss Martin Jol ahead of another solid season of results in 2011/12.

Dempsey smashed home 17 league goals as the Whites won 14 of their matches to finish ninth.

As well as a 6-0 demolition of QPR, which included a first Fulham Premier League hat-trick thanks to Andy Johnson – there was also another win over Arsenal and two over Liverpool.

In a disappointing return to Europe, Fulham were knocked out of the Europa League group stages thanks to a late draw against Odense in the final game of the round.

2012/13

Manager: Martin Jol

League Position: 12th

Top Scorer: Dimitar Berbatov – 15

W/D/L: 11/10/17

FA Cup: Fourth round

League Cup: Second round

Fulham went top of the table with a 5-0 win over Norwich in a fine start to another decent enough season under Jol, but a poor ending should have been a warning for the following year.

The Whites slipped from 10th to 15th after losing six games out of seven, but a final day win over Swansea helped a climb back up to 12th.

Dimitar Berbatov had a fine individual season with 15 goals, having been brought in to replace the void created by Dempsey and Mousa Dembele joining Spurs.

This season would prove to be the most recent solid Premier League season for Fulham, who would have three different managers in the following campaign.

2013/14

Manager: Martin Jol followed by René Meulensteen followed by Felix Magath

League Position: 19th (relegated)

Top Scorer: Steve Sidwell – 7

W/D/L: 9/5/24

FA Cup: Fourth round

League Cup: Fourth round

Adel Taarabt, Darren Bent and Maarten Stekelenburg joined in the summer in positive deals for the club, and a narrow win over Sunderland on the opening day was a solid start.

That would prove to be one of only nine victories across a demoralising season, which saw Fulham drop out of the top flight after 13 seasons.

A period of one win across 10 games before the new year led to Jol being replaced by René Meulensteen, who subsequently lost his job to Felix Magath.

Fulham were put out of their misery by Stoke in a 4-1 defeat in May, which led a run of four seasons in the Championship.

2018/19

Manager: Slaviša Jokanović followed by Claudio Ranieri followed by Scott Parker

League Position: 19th (relegated)

Top Scorer: Aleksandar Mitrović – 11

W/D/L: 7/5/26

FA Cup: Third round

EFL Cup: Fourth round

Fulham went 23 games unbeaten until the final day of the Championship season before beating both Derby and Aston Villa in the play-offs to return to the Premier League.

A net spend of over £100m then followed as the Whites were backed to get close to the top half, but the new players failed to gel which led to the sacking of Slaviša Jokanović.

Claudio Ranieri was given time to turn those fortunes around, but he was also dismissed and replace by caretaker Scott Parker in February.

Fulham won only seven games across the season as they finished 19th with 26 points, and three of those wins came under Parker after relegation was confirmed away to Watford.

Fulham in the Premier League review:

Although there have been two disastrous seasons for Fulham in the Premier League, there has been plenty more to cheer about over the last 20 years.

The stats show that the Whites would be included in the all-time table, and another extend run above the Championship will follow from 2020/21.

Matches: 532

W/D/L: 157/141/234

Win percentage 30%

Place in all-time Premier League table: 17th



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2020-09-08-rhyss-pieces-back-where-we-belong/

Arsenal team news: Injury, suspension list vs. Fulham

Arsenal get their 2020-21 Premier League campaign underway with a short trip to promoted side Fulham on Saturday.

On the back of winning the FA Cup and Community Shield, the Gunners are on a high as they look to challenge for a top-four position in the standings.

However, while making notable additions in the transfer market, Mikel Arteta's continues to deal with injury issues hampering a number of players in his squad.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Arsenal's latest fitness concerns in the days leading up to the encounter at Craven Cottage.

Shkodran Mustafi
Status: Out
Type of injury: Thigh
Possible return date: Unknown

While it has been suggested that Mustafi will not make a return from a thigh injury until October, Arteta recently revealed that the Germany international had stepped up his rehabilitation after being given permission to stop using crutches.

Gabriel Martinelli
Status: Out
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: Unknown

Martinelli underwent knee surgery earlier this summer, subsequently ruling him out in the long term. As it stands, Arteta expects the Brazilian to return to training before the end of 2020.

Pablo Mari
Status: Out
Type of injury: Ankle
Possible return date: Unknown

Of the four players who are currently sidelined, Mari is the closest to a return to action. Having made significant progress in his recovery from an ankle problem sustained in June, the centre-back should return to full training later this month.

Calum Chambers
Status: Out
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: Unknown

While Chambers has recently stepped up his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury, the defender is not close to getting himself back in contention. Arteta is yet to put a date on his potential return.

ARSENAL'S SUSPENSION LIST

Arsenal have no suspension issues heading into this contest.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/arsenal/injury-news/injuries-and-suspensions/arsenal-injury-suspension-list-vs-fulham_413448.html

Fulham agrees sponsorship deal with BetVictor

Fulham will kick off their return to the Premier League with a new front-of-shirt sponsor, having agreed a deal with BetVictor.

The operator will the London-based club's primary sponsor until the end of the 2021/2022 season.

BetVictor's logo will be placed on the shirts of the men's first team, as well as the women's team.

Adult replica jerseys will also sport BetVictor branding.
"Confident of a successful season"

The Cottagers were promoted from the Championship last season, having beaten West London neighbours Brentford in the play-off final at Wembley. They will begin their first season back in the top flight at home to Arsenal on Saturday.

BetVictor CEO Andreas Meinrad had the following to say about the club's new partnership with the operator.

"We're really excited to be teaming up with Fulham FC and are confident of a successful season ahead for both of us.

"The Premier League always provides compelling drama. We know how much football means to our customers and we share their enthusiasm for the beautiful game. It's all eyes on Craven Cottage for Saturday's big kick-off."
"BetVictor shares our passion for success"

BetVictor will also feature on Fulham's social media platforms and official website, while enjoying further exposure through branding displays at Craven Cottage.

Fulham CEO Alastair Mackintosh also commented on the new sponsorship deal.

"We welcome BetVictor on board as our Main Team Partner and look forward to working with them this season as we begin our Premier League campaign against Arsenal at Craven Cottage this weekend.

"BetVictor shares our passion for success and we hope to develop our relationship further throughout the duration of the partnership, in order to achieve and exceed our goals."



https://affiliateinsider.com/news/fulham-agrees-shirt-sponsorship-deal-with-betvictor/

Date confirmed for cup clash with Premier League Fulham


Ipswich Town will host Fulham in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, September 16
Ipswich Town will host Premier League Fulham in the second round of the Carabao Cup next Wednesday night, the club have confirmed.

The Blues will welcome the Cottagers to Portman Road on Wednesday, September 16, with a 7pm kick-off.

Paul Lambert's men kicked off their competitive season in style with a 3-0 win over Bristol Rovers in the first round on Saturday.

Should they progress again, the Blues will face either Rochdale or Sheffield Wednesday, again at home, on either the 22 or 23 of September.

The game will be available to watch on Town's iFollow video service, with further details to be released in due course.



https://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town-v-fulham-cup-date-1-6827388

Fulham Cup Date Set

Town have confirmed that the second round Carabao Cup tie against Fulham at Portman Road will take place on Wednesday 16th September but with an earlier than usual 7pm kick-off.

The Blues are in action on Sunday in their opening League One game of the season against Wigan at Portman Road, hence the visit by the Cottagers being scheduled for the Wednesday rather than Tuesday.

The winners of the tie, which will be available on iFollow Ipswich, will face either Rochdale or Sheffield Wednesday at home during the following midweek.



https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/38666/fulham-cup-date-set

Fulham 2020/21 preview: how will Parker approach survival?

Fulham
2019/20: 4th in the Championship

As a player, Scott Parker had rather more experience of relegation and relegation battles than he might have liked, but as a manager he will need to draw on that experience in his attempts to keep Fulham in the Premier League. He led Fulham to an immediate return, via the Championship playoffs, and survival will be their primary aim in 2020/21.

There has been no repeat of the lavish – and, in hindsight, wasteful – spending with which they approached their promotion in 2018/19, when they struggled terribly and were comfortably relegated. Slavisa Jokanovic was unable to get so many new players to gel as quickly as was needed, and his successor Claudio Ranieri failed to arrest their decline.


There will, instead, be more continuity – certainly in personnel – in 2020/21. There will also be more mature players able to use their experiences of the Premier League and, for some, their relegation – which was confirmed when Parker was caretaker manager – to their benefit. Tom Cairney, Josh Onomah and Anthony Knockaert have proved more than good enough for the Championship but have not consistently shown the extent of what they can do in the Premier League. They have another chance to do just that, and will want the ball as much as possible to do so.

With 26 goals, Aleksandr Mitrovic was the Championship's top scorer in 2019/20, and Fulham need him to take that into the Premier League. They played to his strengths, working the ball from inside to out wide and committing numbers into the penalty area before establishing a crossing opportunity (above).

Mitrovic was almost always the target of those crosses; others made selfless runs that created space for their main goal threat. He scored from them with remarkable consistency – how much service he gets in the Premier League could prove crucial.

Fulham played a short passing game and dominated possession in the Championship, and though they weren't its most expansive or adventurous team, they will need greater pragmatism in the Premier League. They clearly have quality but they – and Parker – should know from their past Premier League experience that they need to tighten up if they are to survive, even if that means fewer chances for Mitrovic.




https://www.coachesvoice.com/fulham-2020-21-preview-parker-mitrovic/

Fulham: Season Preview 2020-21

Let's start with a question.
Did Fulham deserve to go up?

A provocative query and, sure, it suggests I'm going to lead the argument down a certain path but, before you blow your thatched rooftops Cottagers fans, the answer is actually both yes and no. Let me explain.

Scott Parker was handed the managerial reins on a permanent basis last summer, after his caretaker stint at the end of their Premier League relegation season. An immediate return to the top flight was a realistic expectation as the majority of the side that achieved promotion in style under Slaviša Jokanović in 2017/18 was retained.

Parker, himself having played under Jokanović, set about implementing a similar high-possession framework to the side that went up two seasons prior and he succeeded; at 61%, Fulham were second only to Leeds in average ball possession.

Something wasn't quite the same though. Under Slaviša, it was swashbuckling. Under Parker, it was pedestrian. Previously, it was possession as a means to attack, now it seemed to be possession as a means to defend. Relative to their promotion rivals, the Cottagers struggled to turn their ball and territory control into meaningful goalscoring opportunities and it left them always seemingly hanging onto the coattails of the top two rather than leading the charge with them.

The big issue was that the side very rarely took advantage of the space available in transition when winning the ball back. Quickly (ironically), the ball would get circulated between midfield and defence until the opposition had managed to reset themselves into their defensive shape, the result being that Fulham had the slowest Pace To Goal – the average speed (in metres per second) of buildup play that results in a shot -  in the Championship by some way.

(https://i1.wp.com/statsbomb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMAGE-1-Pace-To-Goal.png?w=800&ssl=1)

Their aversion to breaking quickly was evident in the lack of counter attacking opportunities generated, something that Jokanović's side were not afraid to do if the space was available.

(https://i0.wp.com/statsbomb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMAGE-2-Counter-Attacking-Shots.png?w=800&ssl=1)

Logic dictates that you're only going to make things more difficult for yourself if you commit to attacking against a set defence all the time and it was evident in the metrics; Fulham's 1.18xG created per game was some way behind promotion rivals Brentford (1.33xG), West Brom (1.38xG), and Leeds (1.58xG) and others too, ranking 7th in the Championship across the regular season.

Of course, there's a balance to be struck and Fulham built a reputation for grinding out victories on the foundation of a sturdy defence, Parker's pragmatism at least paying off at the other end of the pitch. 17 clean sheets was a total beaten only by champions Leeds, and Fulham also had a remarkable record of staying in front once they were ahead, conceding just five equalising goals in the entire season and going W21 D3 L0 in the 24 games they took the lead in.

Despite that sterling record, the fans certainly weren't particularly impressed with the regularity they were seeing their side take a lead and then sit on it rather than pushing on. Of Fulham's 23 victories, 15 of them were by a single goal. However, there's a real and unexpected quirk about their game state metrics.

When in front, at score lines you'd expect the opposition to be having the better of the game and putting Fulham under pressure in search of an equaliser, Fulham actually created more, notching up 16.91xG to their opponents 14.24xG. They were also creating more than the opposition when scores were level, as you'd expect of a good side. Less relevant but just as weird, Fulham actually seemed to struggle most when they went behind, creating 13.79 xG to the opposition's 14.78xG - potentially an ominous sign ahead of a season when they'll expect to be behind more often than ahead.

In summary, Fulham finished 4th in the table, had the 4th best goal difference and the 5th best expected goal difference. That's pretty conclusive evidence to say that Fulham were, at best, the 4th best side in the division, no? Ergo, is it deserved that they were one of the three sides to go up?

Well here comes the other side of the argument because of course I'm not going to ignore what happened in the play-offs. Where Parker's pragmatism had given cause for complaint in the regular season, all of a sudden it was an asset to the task in front of them.

Fulham played the first leg of their semi-final against Cardiff perfectly, conceding just six shots, and it's hard to ask for a better result than to take a 2-0 lead away from home in the first leg. They finished the job at Craven Cottage, successfully defending a one goal aggregate lead for the entirety of the second half.

(https://i2.wp.com/statsbomb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMAGE-3-Cardiff-First-Leg.png?w=1680)

It was a similar story in the final. Fulham focused less on retaining the ball and more on preventing Brentford, and particularly Saïd Benrahma, from playing, staying in a more compact shape than usual but more importantly selecting the more energetic Bobby Reid ahead of Championship top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrović in order to give them more mobility in leading the press and more pace on the counter.

The result was an even game with the deadlock only broken by a moment of individual quality which I'm almost certain you'll have seen if you're reading this, but if not:

(https://i0.wp.com/statsbomb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMAGE-5-Joe-Bryan-Goal.png?w=800&ssl=1)

Fulham successfully negotiated the three games that their promotion depended on without riding their luck at any point during. Therefore, it's undeniable that they did deserve their promotion, right?

Let's start to look forward now. It's worth considering that Parker's pragmatism, though not advisable when a big favourite with a talent advantage in a smaller league, does at least leave them better prepared to adjust to the Premier League than they were last time out. Although those attacking transitions will most certainly need to speed up.

On that note, the signing of Mario Lemina from Southampton could help if he can replicate the form shown on the south coast that saw him mooted as a potential replacement for Mousa Dembélé at Tottenham. Lemina was flagged by StatsBomb's own Euan Dewar when he analysed dribblers and their post-dribble actions a couple of seasons back and if he can help Fulham move through the centre of the park and transition from defence to attack more quickly or efficiently, that could be important.

Similarly, the return of André Zambo Anguissa to the squad is notable. Anguissa was one of the more heralded signings of the 18/19 summer window and it looks increasingly more likely that he'll stay a Fulham player in 2020/21, returning after playing a key role in helping Villarreal finish 5th in La Liga. Now two years older than when he first signed and closer to his peak at 24, there's potential he could step up in the way that was hoped when he first signed.

(https://i2.wp.com/statsbomb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMAGE-6-Andre-Zambo-Anguissa-Radar.png?w=1230&ssl=1)

Anguissa was part of the infamous £100million spend that summer, but comparisons between that window and this are scarce. There were some domestic signings back then but the vast majority were brought in from overseas and with no experience of English football. This time, Fulham's business has so far focused entirely on the domestic market and with smaller sums being exchanged: the only (soon to be confirmed) signing from overseas has been that of wing back Ola Aina who's spent the last two seasons with Torino in Serie A but moved there from Chelsea.

Of the business that remains to be done, there are concerns over Fulham's reliance on 26-goal Mitrović, who was given very little help in the goalscoring department last season. He'll be the main man again and has proven he can be counted on for some contribution at Premier League level, but more needs to come from the support acts out wide. Ivan Cavaleiro and Anthony Knockaert notched just nine goals between them last season and given the unlikelihood that Mitrović reaches another double-dozen, they'll need to step up.

(https://i1.wp.com/statsbomb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/IMAGE-7-Cavaleiro-Shot-Map.png?w=1600&ssl=1)

In a weird flip, Fulham could be coming into this season as a perceivably and demonstrably worse side than the one that was promoted last time out but at the same time one that's better prepared and suited for the challenge that's ahead of them thanks to a risk-averse manager and more settled squad. Expectations amongst the fanbase are also lower due to the manner of promotion and tighter transfer spending.

Critiqued for much of last season but with a bit more credit in the bank after promotion, it'll be interesting to see how much patience Parker gets should things not go to plan straight away. Joint relegation favourites with West Brom seems a fair assessment.



https://statsbomb.com/2020/09/fulham-season-preview-2020-21/

Southend United reject improved League One bid for ex-Fulham striker

According to a report from Echo Sport, Southend United have rejected a new bid from Rochdale for ex-Fulham striker Stephen Humphrys.

Upon Southend United's relegation to League Two, striker Stephen Humphrys has been attracting interest from League One.

Rochdale – one of Humphrys' former clubs – have been looking to bring the striker back to Spotland. The club have already have one bid for Humphrys rejected and now, it has been reported that the club have had a new and improved offer turned down by Southend United.

The size of the bid is not reported by Echo Sport but it is not enough to tempt Southend into letting Humphrys leave Roots Hall this summer. Southend are determined to keep Humphrys this summer and have not yet been tempted to cash in for the former Fulham man.

The 22-year-old has been with Southend United since leaving Fulham for the Roots Hall club in January 2019. Since joining the club Humphrys has scored 10 goals and laid on two assists in 34 games across all competitions for the club.

After time with Bury's youth academy, Humphrys joined Fulham in 2013. He played three times for the club's senior side and impressed for their youth ranks, picking up senior experience out on loan with Shrewsbury Town, Rochdale and Scunthorpe United.

Southend United fans, is Humphrys a must keep player? Have your say in the reported interest in the striker in the poll at the bottom of the page.



https://the72.co.uk/191078/southend-united-reject-improved-league-one-bid-for-ex-fulham-striker/

Fulham land BetVictor as main sponsor for Premier League return


September 8 – Fulham, back in the Premier League at the first time of asking, have confirmed online bookmaker BetVictor as the club's main sponsor.

The two-year sponsorship will see the BetVictor brand on the front of Fulham's first team and women's playing kits, as well as on adult replica shirts.

BetVictor CEO Andreas Meinrad said: "We're really excited to be teaming up with Fulham FC and are confident of a successful season ahead for both of us.

"The Premier League always provides compelling drama. We know how much football means to our customers and we share their enthusiasm for the beautiful game. It's all eyes on Craven Cottage for Saturday's big kick-off."

Fulham kick off at home against Arsenal on Saturday. BetVictor branding will be displayed around Craven Cottage during match days (games start behind closed doors) as well as across the club's website and social media platforms.

Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham CEO, said: "We welcome BetVictor on board as our Main Team Partner and look forward to working with them this season as we begin our Premier League campaign against Arsenal at Craven Cottage this weekend.

"BetVictor shares our passion for success and we hope to develop our relationship further throughout the duration of the partnership, in order to achieve and exceed our goals."

No value was given for the sponsorship but it industry estimates reckon it is £5 million deal in total.



http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2020/09/08/fulham-land-betvictor-main-sponsor-premier-league-return/

Report: Fulham want PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on loan

The 27-year-old was on loan at Real Madrid last season.

Reports from Sky Sports are claiming Fulham are keen to take PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola on loan for the 2020/21 campaign.

Signing the 27-year-old would have to be viewed as a coup for Scott Parker, with the Frenchman spending last season on loan at Real Madrid.

Areola started the first three Ligue 1 games for PSG during 2019/20 but was sent to Los Blancos when Keylor Navas made the switch to the Parc des Princes.

In the Spanish capital, Areola spent time as Thibaut Courtois' deputy and did manage to make seven appearances under Zinedine Zidane's management.

Fulham won promotion to the Premier League last season, defeating Brentford in the Championship play-off final to secure an instant return to the top-flight.

Rennes could also be interested in the custodian but that will depend on whether or not Chelsea sign their number one Edouard Mendy before the window closes.

Marek Rodak was Fulham's number one stopper during their Championship campaign but it would seem Parker is keen to add another goalkeeper.

The Cottagers kick off their campaign against Arsenal at the weekend and Parker would dearly like to continue adding to his squad.

During 2018/19 Fulham were relegated in miserable fashion and Parker will want to avoid a repeat this time around.

TBR View – Areola would be a real coup but it'd be harsh on Rodak

Areola would represent a magnificent coup for the Cottagers but spare a thought for Slovakian stopper Rodak.

He played in 33 games for Fulham last season and kept 14 clean sheets for the club as they were promoted.

There is an argument to suggest that the goalkeeping department needs reinforcing but Rodak did enough last season to win a Premier League shot.

Areola has spent a lot of his time as a deputy stopper and he'd need to work hard for his place at Craven Cottage.



https://tbrfootball.com/report-fulham-want-psg-goalkeeper-alphonse-areola-on-loan/

Analysis: Michael Dawson on the promoted teams - Fulham

As we count down the hours to the start of the Premier League this weekend, we turned to Michael Dawson, our legendary former defender and occasional captain between 2005-2014, for his insight into the three teams promoted from the Championship who we will face in 2020/21 - Fulham, West Brom and champions Leeds United.

Ever-popular, 'Daws', who proudly led us to a 1-0 win against Milan in the San Siro in the Champions League in 2011, knows the Championship inside-out having played 67 times for Hull and Forest in the last three seasons.

For part one of this three-part series, Michael gives his verdict on Fulham...

Fulham
Managed by Michael's former Spurs team-mate Scott Parker, Fulham beat Brentford in the play-off final at Wembley in August to make a swift return to the Premier League, following relegation in 2018/19.

Daws: "To be relegated from the Premier League and bounce straight back is a huge achievement, so full credit to Fulham. You could see in Scotty's post-match interview at Wembley the sheer relief. We're all delighted for Scott and his staff - Matty Wells, Rob Burch (all ex-Spurs) - and promotion in Scott's first year in management, that's a massive achievement for him, a young manager who got his opportunity at Fulham.

"As a team they pass the ball, Scotty's drilled that into them, they keep possession, stay patient and when a team has the strike force they have - Mitrovic, Reid, Knockaert, Cavaleiro - they will cause problems, mixed in with the creativity of someone like Josh Onomah, who was also at Spurs and has done well.

"They were fancied early in the season last year, and you could see from the interviews at the end of the play-off that they were under pressure, simply because of the squad they have. They did it in the end, and I've had that experience with Hull, it's a great, great feeling. As I said, they are a possession team and I'm sure that won't change now they are back in the Premier League because that's how Scotty wants to play."

One to watch
Daws: "Tom Cairney is a decent player, Harrison Reed, who they picked up on loan from Southampton last season and have now signed, he really impressed sitting in front of the back four. So, Cairney, Joe Bryan is a good full-back, Mitrovic scores goals, Cavaleiro and Knockaert in the wider areas - all good players. They have experience in there, players who have been promoted before and played in the Premier League and I'm sure Scotty will look to strengthen again."



https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2020/september/michael-dawson-on-the-promoted-teams-fulham/

 Kenny Tete: Fulham closing in on Lyon right-back
Scott Parker's side still keen on Torino defender Ola Aina


Fulham are closing in on the transfer of Netherlands international right-back Kenny Tete.

The 24-year-old, who has won 13 caps for his country, came through the Ajax youth academy having joined aged 10.

Tete made 55 appearances for Ajax, helping them reach the Europa League final in 2017, before moving to Lyon for £3.6m that summer.

He was an unused substitute in the Netherlands' 1-0 home defeat to Italy in the Nations League on Monday.

Fulham still keen to sign Aina
Fulham remain keen on signing Torino defender Ola Aina, despite their interest in Tete.

The ex-Chelsea youngster is set to join the Cottagers on an initial season-long loan, with the deal expected to be completed by the middle of the week.

Fulham will have the option to make Aina's loan a permanent transfer for a figure in the region of £11m.

Fulham in talks to sign PSG goalkeeper Areola
Scott Parker's side are also in talks to sign former Real Madrid goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan as they look to strengthen their squad on their return to the Premier League.

Areola spent last season on loan at Real Madrid as part of the deal which took Keylor Navas to the Parc des Princes but has now returned to the French club.

Fulham have competition for the French goalkeeper, who is interesting Rennes with their No 1 Edouard Mendy set to leave the club for Chelsea.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12066654/kenny-tete-fulham-closing-in-on-lyon-right-back

Carlos Bocanegra Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame
Former USMNT Captain is Lone Member of 2020 Hall of Fame Class; He Will Be Enshrined in 2021

Frisco, Texas — The National Soccer Hall of Fame today announced that former U.S. Men's National Team captain Carlos Bocanegra is the lone member of its 2020 class. Bocanegra will be inducted along with the Hall of Fame's 2021 class at a combined ceremony next year at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. This year's ceremony, which was scheduled for Saturday, September 19, was postponed due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tim Howard surprised his former USMNT teammate with the news of his election in a videoconference call while Bocanegra was at an Atlanta United video session at the team's training facility in Marietta, GA. Bocanegra, who played for the USMNT in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups, is currently Atlanta United's technical director.

Bocanegra, who will be the 305th person to be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, wore the captain's armband in 64 of his 110 appearances with the USMNT from 2001 to 2012. His 14 international goals are the most by a U.S defender.

His 15-year professional career began as MLS Rookie of the Year with the Chicago Fire in 2000. After winning MLS Defender of the Year in 2002 and 2003, he moved to Europe for stints in England's Premier League, France's Ligue 1 and Scotland's Premier League before two final seasons (2013-2014) in MLS.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame voting committee determined the 2020 class from a list of 42 finalists on the players ballot, 12 on the veterans ballot and 10 finalists in the builder ballot. Bocanegra was named on 68.5 percent of ballots; the threshold for election is 66.7 percent.

National Soccer Hall of Fame 2020 Class
CARLOS BOCANEGRA, PLAYER

Defender - U.S. Men's National Team (2001-2012), UCLA (1997-1999), Chicago Fire (2000–2003), Fulham (2004–2008), Rennes (2008–2010), Saint-Étienne (2010–2011), Rangers (2011–2013), Racing Santander (2012–2013), Chivas USA (2013–2014)

Currently – Technical Director, Atlanta United; Athlete Representative, U.S. Soccer Board of Directors

Wearing the captain's armband 64 times for the United States Men's National Team, Bocanegra was selected for each of the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups where he appeared in six total matches. Tied for 10th all-time in U.S. Soccer history with 110 caps, he scored an impressive 14 goals during his international career. Bocanegra helped lead the USMNT to two Gold Cup victories in 2002 and 2007 and was captain during the U.S. victory against No. 1-ranked Spain at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Bocanegra retired from play in 2014 after a 15-year career that included more than 200 career appearances in England, France, Scotland and the United States. A California native, Bocanegra attended collegiate soccer powerhouse UCLA and was drafted by the Chicago Fire in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. In Chicago, he won the MLS Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and back-to-back MLS Defender of the Year Awards in 2002 and 2003. The following year, he signed with English Premier League club Fulham, where he played four seasons, during which he became one of the few U.S. players to captain both club and country simultaneously. Following his time with Fulham, Bocanegra moved to France's Ligue 1, where he played for Rennes and Saint-Etienne until he joined Rangers of the Scottish Premier League until 2013. In July 2013, he officially returned to MLS to play for Chivas USA, where he finished his career holding the all-time record for most international goals scored by a U.S. defender.



https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/09/carlos-bocanegra-elected-to-national-soccer-hall-of-fame

Player 'leaves for the Premier League' after completing Fulham medical

Lyon defender Kenny Tete has passed his medical with Fulham, with a move to London now seemingly imminent.

That's according to Voetbal International, who say the 24-year-old 'leaves for the Premier League'.

The newspaper explains Tete is being allowed to leave Lyon this summer after falling down the pecking order under manager Rudi Garcia, who has chosen Léo Dubois as his first-choice right-back.

That has left Tete to 'make do' with a substitutes role, something he is presumably not happy about at this stage of his career.

If that is the case a move away will appeal, and Fulham have emerged on the scene, with Scott Parker looking to strengthen his squad following their return to the Premier League.

Reports in England have linked them with a move over the last week, and VI now say that he has completed a medical ahead of completing a transfer.

They provide no information on either the cost of the move or contract details, just that the Dutch international, who was with the national team last week but did not feature against either Poland or Italy, will compete with Denis Odoi and Cyrus Christie for Fulham's right-back spot.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-kenny-tete-lyon-medical-transfer/

FANTEAM ANNOUNCED AS FANTASY SPORTS PARTNER


Fulham Football Club is delighted to announce that FanTeam has become the Club's new Fantasy Sports Partner for the next two seasons.

FanTeam, part of the Scout Gaming Group, offers the largest fantasy football prize pools in Europe. This includes the world's biggest season-long Fantasy Premier League game, with €1,000,000 guaranteed and a minimum €200,000 to the winner.

Every week users can also compete for more than €500,000 in prize pools for daily and single match-tournaments.

As part of the partnership with the Club, FanTeam will also be offering specific Fulham matchups against the Club's different opponents during the season, as well as the traditional season-long game across the entire Premier League competition.

Fulham's rich heritage and global reputation were key factors in FanTeam's decision to partner with the Club.

Andreas Ternström, CEO of Scout Gaming Group, said: "We are extremely proud and excited to be partnering with Fulham FC ahead of their return to the Premier League, where they belong.

"We were very impressed to see how the Club & their Head Coach Scott Parker handled the relegation in 2019, and the measures taken to win back promotion.

"In many ways we see a lot of similarities between FanTeam and Fulham FC, where focus on building a winning culture and passion stands out."

Andreas Sundal, CPO & Co-founder of Scout Gaming Group added: "We are confident that Fulham will have a successful season and believe Fulham's loyal fanbase around the world will enjoy FanTeam's world-leading fantasy products.

"We look forward to building a strong and successful partnership with Fulham FC, and can't wait for the season to kick off."

Alistair Mackintosh, CEO of Fulham, said: "I'm delighted to welcome FanTeam on board as an Official Club Partner for the next two seasons.

"Fantasy Sports is increasing its popularity with participants all around the world and we look forward to collaborating together to assist with providing FanTeam increased exposure and a platform to engage with our fans worldwide."

FanTeam will be leveraging their association with the Club and its Premier League platform to promote their games to a global audience, utilising Fulham's digital channels to engage with its UK and international fanbase.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/FanTeam-Announced-As-Fantasy-Sports-Partner/

Boca's Hall of Fame Induction


Former Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra has been inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

He becomes the third former Whites player to make the list, after the honour was bestowed upon Kasey Keller and Brian McBride in 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Bocanegra scored some crucial goals in his 136 Fulham appearances, notably a last minute winner against Tottenham Hotspur and a vital equaliser away to Chelsea.

He also amassed 110 caps for the United States, 64 of which were as captain.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame celebrates the players of American soccer who have elevated the sport to where it is today, and Bocanegra certainly fits that bill.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Boca-s-Hall-of-Fame-Induction/

REPORT: Marcus Bettinelli Close to Middlesbrough Loan Move

Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli is set to join Middlesbrough on loan.

The keeper is taking a medical today, according to Keith Downie of Sky Sports, ahead of finalising a season-long loan move.

The capture of Bettinelli, if and when it's concluded, will ease Neil Warnock's goalkeeper concerns. At the start of the summer, the Middlesbrough boss identified the need for more experience between the posts and drew up a shortlist of targets.

The Teessiders are reportedly ready to pay a six-figure loan charge to guarantee the assets of the 28-year-old for the whole season.

A graduate of Fulham's academy system. Bettinelli spent several years with the Cottagers, making a total of 120 senior appearances. He made 14 appearances last season as Scott Parker's side secured promotion. However, he was found surplus to requirements in South-West London.
Bettinelli Nearing Middlesbrough Loan

Goalkeeper Situation

His introduction would call into question the fate of Boro's two current senior goalkeepers, resulting in at least one of Aynsley Pears and Dejan Stojanovic likely to move on just before the window shuts.

With Stojanovic starting the Carabao Cup win over Shrewsbury Town last weekend, Pears is deemed to be the most likely to depart, Who was a product of the academy and is in the final year of his deal with Boro.

Middlesbrough Struggling in Transfer Window.

While new boss Neil Warnock looks to build and push Middlesbrough forward, he seems to have struggled in completing transfers on the North East. Boro have made one acquisition in centre back Grant Hall for free. Yet have seen 9 players leave the door at Rockcliff Park, including club servants Adam Clayton, and George Friend.

Both parties will be happy with the agreement should it be completed. Middlesbrough will be securing the services of an experienced keeper while Fulham will lower their big wage bill.



https://lastwordonsports.com/football/2020/09/08/marcus-bettinelli-close-to-loan-move-with-middlesbrough/

Fulham appoints BetVictor as main team partner

Global online gambling firm BetVictor has been named 'Main Team Partner' of Premier League football club Fulham until the summer of 2020.

The two-year agreement will see the BetVictor logo displayed on the front of the playing shirts worn by the club's first team and women's team for the duration of the partnership, replacing Filipino gambling firm Dafabet.

As well as boasting a presence on the playing and adult replica shirts, BetVictor branding will also feature prominently around Craven Cottage on matchdays, as well as on the club's new official website and social media platforms.

Andreas Meinrad, BetVictor CEO, commented: "We're really excited to be teaming up with Fulham FC and are confident of a successful season ahead for both of us.

"The Premier League always provides compelling drama. We know how much football means to our customers and we share their enthusiasm for the beautiful game. It's all eyes on Craven Cottage for Saturday's big kick-off."

As the club's main team partner, Fulham states that the BetVictor brand will receive extensive global exposure, with the Premier League watched by a worldwide audience of over three billion people annually.

Alistair Mackintosh, Fulham CEO, added: "We welcome BetVictor on board as our main team partner and look forward to working with them this season as we begin our Premier League campaign against Arsenal at Craven Cottage this weekend.

"BetVictor shares our passion for success and we hope to develop our relationship further throughout the duration of the partnership, in order to achieve and exceed our goals."

Fulham secured a return to the English top flight last season following a 2-1 Championship play-off final victory over Brentford at Wembley. The side will get the new season underway this weekend (Saturday 12 September) at home to Arsenal, who followed-up FA Cup success last season with a Community Shield triumph in August.



https://www.casinobeats.com/2020/09/08/fulham-appoints-betvictor-as-main-team-partner/

Leeds United's Elland Road clash with Fulham will be broadcast live after Premier League shareholders agreement
All three of Leeds United's Premier League games in September will be broadcast live on UK television, the Premier League has announced.

(https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/QVNIMTE3MDIxOTEw.jpg?crop=982:524,smart&width=990)
ON TELE - Leeds United and fellow Premier League new boys Fulham will do battle at Elland Road live on BT Sport. Pic: Getty

The Premier League shareholders met today to agree that all 28 of the division's scheduled matches in September will be broadcast via existing broadcast partners Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime Video and BBC.

Sky Sports and BT Sport have already chosen 17 matches for live broadcast for the first three rounds of 2020/21 season matches. From the remaining 11 matches Sky Sports will show an additional six, BT Sport a further three and BBC and Amazon Prime Video one apiece.

Discussions are also taking place over a similar solution when it comes to radio, with BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT.

The Premier League says it is currently considering 'appropriate arrangements' for matches taking place after October 1.

A statement said: "The Premier League is working on a step-by-step approach, while monitoring the developments regarding the League's number one priority of getting fans back into full stadia as soon as possible, with safety always being our priority."

Leeds United's season opener at Liverpool on Saturday will be shown at 5.30pm by Sky Sports, with the Elland Road clash against Fulham on Saturday September 19 screened by BT Sport at 3pm and the 12pm trip to Sheffield United on Sunday September 27 also live on BT Sport.



https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-uniteds-elland-road-clash-fulham-will-be-broadcast-live-after-premier-league-shareholders-agreement-2965286

Photo : Goalkeeper Okonkwo Called Up Again To Train With Arsenal First Team Pre-

Nigeria-eligible goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has been called up again to train with Arsenal's first team ahead of their first Premier League game of the 2020-2021 season at Fulham, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.

The Hale End Academy product was among four players of Nigerian descent that trained with the Gunners first team last Friday, the others being Tolaji Bola, James Olayinka and Daniel Oyegoke.

According to the training pictures published by Arsenal's official website at the end of Tuesday's training session, Okonkwo was involved in the intense outdoor training session.

It is all but confirmed that the Anglo-Nigerian glovesman won't be involved when Arsenal U21s face Ipswich Town at Portman Road in their first competitive game of the new season this evening.

Bola, Miguel Azeez, Daniel Oyegoke and James Olayinka who have all trained with the first team in pre-season were not pictured in today's training session and this suggests that they are in the frame to play a part against the Tractor Boys.

Okonkwo has fully recovered after missing the whole of the 2019-2020 campaign due to an undisclosed ailment.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=37319

Live TV: Fulham fixture selected

Elland Road clash to be shown on BT Sport.

Our Premier League fixture with Fulham has been chosen for live broadcast on BT Sport, after it was agreed all matches in September will be broadcast live in the UK.

The date and fixture time remains unchanged, with details below:



Leeds United v Fulham

Fixture date: Saturday 19th September

Kick off time: 3pm live on BT Sport

Venue: Elland Road



Our games with Liverpool and Sheffield United, had already been selected for broadcast, with details below:



Liverpool v Leeds United

Fixture date: Saturday 12th September 2020

Kick-off time: 5:30pm live on Sky Sports

Venue: Anfield



Sheffield United v Leeds United

Fixture date: Sunday 27th September 2020

Kick-off time: 12pm live on BT Sport

Venue: Bramall Lane




https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/27013/live-tv-fulham-fixture-selected

Gabriel and Mesut Ozil involved, wonderkid joins in - Three things spotted in Arsenal training

Arsenal were in training ahead of the Premier League opener against Fulham on Saturday, with all of the Gunners' main players in action

The countdown is on as Arsenal  prepare begin their 2020/21 Premier League campaign  against newly-promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage.

The Gunners make the short trip across the capital aiming to make the perfect start to the new Premier League season and build on last weekend's FA Community Shield victory over Liverpool at Wembley.

But even though  Mikel Arteta  has successfully added another piece of silverware to the Gunners' trophy cabinet, full focus is now on Saturday's clash with Fulham and ensuring they can hit the ground running at the start of another action packed Premier League season.

And with pre-season having been much shorter this time around, Arsenal's players having been putting the hard yards in on the training ground more than ever to ensure they are ready for the big kick-off.

Here are some of the things we noticed in the Gunners' latest training session at London Colney.

Gabriel involved
After joining for a fee in the region of £27million at the beginning of the month, Gabriel  was Arsenal's fourth signing of the summer following the additions of Cedric Soares, Pablo Mari and former Chelsea winger  Willian.

And the Brazilian defender was seen taking part in full training with his teammates ahead of the clash against Fulham.

It remains to be seen whether Mikel Arteta will hand the former Lille centre-back his debut at Craven Cottage, given his lack of pre-season minutes but it may not be long before supporters see the Brazilian in action.

The pictures showed Gabriel and fellow summer signing William Saliba taking part in a drill with a line of players undergoing sprints with a rope tied around their waists.

Ozil trains again
Since football returned back in June, following the lockdown period,  Mesut Ozil's  Arsenal future has been a hot topic.

The former Real Madrid midfielder, who joined the Gunners back in 2013, has not played for the club since Saturday, March 7 - the final Premier League game before lockdown.

There has been plenty of speculation that the German could leave the club this summer, with his future at the club seemingly in doubt. However, Arteta has vowed to wipe the slate clean for everyone ahead of the new season, meaning Ozil could be handed the chance to resurrect his Gunners career.

And the midfielder was involved in first-team training again on Tuesday, after being spotted in the set-up last week.

Pictures also showed Ozil getting minutes in the recent 3-2 friendly defeat against Aston Villa, which suggest the German could be involved in some capacity against Fulham on Saturday.

Youngsters involved
Ever since Arteta landed the Arsenal job back in December last year, the Spaniard has been keen for young players at the club to get the opportunity to train with the first-team.

And that trend continued this week, with academy stars Charlie Patino, Luke Plange, Kido Taylor-Hart and Levi Laing all involved.

Patino was pictured tracking club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang during a practice match, whilst other were spotted posing with Alexandre Lacazette in a group shot.



https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/news/arsenal-training-gabriel-ozil-fulham-18900491

That's one way to work on team bonding! Hector Bellerin, Dani Ceballos, William Saliba and Gabriel are tied together during Arsenal training exercise as Mikel Arteta gets his side ready for trip to Fulham

    Arsenal players were put through their paces in an unusual way during training
    Gabriel, William Saliba, Dani Ceballos and Hector Bellerin were tied together
    Mikel Arteta's side prepared to kick off the Premier League season vs Fulham
    New signing Willian and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were also in the session

Arsenal players were put through their paces in an unusual way in training as Mikel Arteta's side prepared for their season opener against Fulham on Saturday.

New arrivals Gabriel and William Saliba were welcomed into the camp by being strapped with a long rope and buckles to returning loan star Dani Ceballos and Hector Bellerin during Tuesday's session.

With the Gunners bringing in a host of new faces this summer it appeared as though Arteta was keen his players to build their fitness and team spirit with the unorthodox method.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/09/08/16/32924618-8710477-image-a-1_1599580230433.jpg)
Arsenal stars were put through their paces in an unusual way by being tied together in training

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/09/08/17/32925624-0-image-a-6_1599581829077.jpg)
Mikel Arteta used the unorthodox method ahead of the Premier League opener against Fulham

The Arsenal camp were all smiles as went through the session, with fellow new signing Willian also pictured following his arrival from Chelsea as well as talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Mesut Ozil was also pictured taking part, but there was no sign of last season's fellow outcast Matteo Guendouzi.

Bellerin trained with his team-mates fresh after revealing he has become League Two side Forest Green Rovers' second-largest stakeholder, while Emiliano Martinez, who has been linked with a move away to Aston Villa recently, was also present in the session, while 

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/09/08/17/32925622-0-image-a-7_1599581832440.jpg)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was also pictured with the ropes around him during the session

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/09/08/17/32925368-8710477-image-a-4_1599581711542.jpg)
Willian was seen enjoying the session ahead of the upcoming season at his new cub

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/09/08/17/32925370-8710477-image-a-5_1599581721821.jpg)
Gunners outcast Mesut Ozil was all smiles as he looks to force his way back into Arteta's plans

The Arsenal boss will be hoping to build on his first season at the north London club that culminated in winning the FA Cup.

He has also tasted some silverware this campaign already after beating Liverpool in the Community Shield last month in the season curtain-raiser at Wembley.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/09/08/17/32926208-8710477-image-a-9_1599582842579.jpg)
Emiliano Martinez trained as speculation linking him away from north London continued

Despite their success towards the end of 2019-20, Arteta has been keen to bolster his squad after a disappointing domestic campaign in which they finished eighth.

Their trip to face the newly-promoted Cottagers on Saturday will be the first 2020-21 game to be played in England's top flight.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8710477/Hector-Bellerin-Dani-Ceballos-William-Saliba-Gabriel-tied-Arsenal-training.html

Odoi 'signs new two-year Fulham deal'

Denis Odoi has signed a new two-year contract with Fulham, according to reports from Belgium.

The newly-promoted club have included an option to extend his new deal for a further year, so the versatile defender could remain at Craven Cottage until at least 2023. The 32 year-old, who joined Fulham from Lokeren in July 2016, became an instant favourite with the fans after an astonishing piece of control with his back on his debut against Newcastle United and has been part of two promotion-winning sides, starting last season's play-off final against Brentford.

Odoi has made 149 first-team appearances for Fulham, scoring six goals.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/odoi-signs-new-two-year-fulham-deal/

All Premier League matches to be televised in September with Leicester v Burnley on BBC

All 28 Premier League fixtures in September will be televised live, with Leicester City's home match against Burnley to be broadcast on the BBC.

Sky Sports and BT Sport had already selected 17 games across the first three rounds of matches in the new season, which starts on Saturday.

Of the remaining 11, Sky will show six, BT Sport three, and the BBC and Amazon Prime will broadcast one each.

Leicester and Burnley will meet on 20 September with kick-off at 19:00 BST.

In a statement, the Premier League said it was "in discussions with BBC Radio 5 Live and Talksport to agree a similar solution for radio".

It added that it was "considering appropriate arrangements" for matches in October.

Elite English football has been played behind closed doors since it resumed in June following the coronavirus lockdown.

Four Premier League matches were broadcast on the BBC at the end of the 2019-20 season.

It was the first time since the Premier League's inception in 1992 that games were shown live by the BBC.

The Premier League said it was "monitoring the developments" regarding its "number one priority" of getting fans back into full stadiums.

In August, fans were allowed into a Premier League stadium for the first time in almost six months, as 2,500 watched a friendly between Brighton and Chelsea.

Seagulls supporters were able to attend the game at the Amex Stadium as part of a government trial event for the return of fans to stadiums for matches.

Where can I watch my team this weekend?
Saturday, 12 September

Fulham v Arsenal (12:30 BST - live on BT Sport)

Crystal Palace v Southampton (15:00 BST - live on BT Sport)

Liverpool v Leeds United (17:30 BST - live on Sky Sports)

West Ham v Newcastle United (20:00 BST - live on Sky Sports)

Sunday, 13 September

West Brom v Leicester City (14:00 BST - live on Sky Sports)

Tottenham v Everton (16:30 BST - live on Sky Sports)

Monday, 14 September

Sheffield United v Wolves (18:00 BST - live on Sky Sports)

Brighton v Chelsea (20:15 BST - live on Sky Sports)



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54076539

'Not interested in money': Southampton or Fulham won't be signing £20m ace

Southampton and Fulham appear to have no chance of landing Martin Hinteregger, with the defender's agent and father making it clear that it will take something special to lure him away from Eintracht Frankfurt, while speaking to Krone.

With just days remaining until the new Premier League season kicks off, that 9-0 thumping at the hands of a lethal Leicester City is a distant memory.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has transformed Southampton's previously porous back line with highly-rated Mohammed Salisu joining Jan Bednarek and the increasingly impressive Jack Stephens at St Mary's.

The Saints are not finished just yet, however, with Sky Sports reporting in August that they have set their sights on signing another defender from mainland Europe.

Austria international Hinteregger appears to be the man in question, although Southampton may be barking up the wrong tree as they look to lure the £20 million-rated stopper away from one of Germany's most exciting clubs.

"There is nothing concrete about it, Martin sees his future in Frankfurt, has a contract until 2024. He blocks everything out," said agent Christian Sand.

Hinteregger's father, Franz, adds: "Only a very large club would appeal to him – he is not interested in money anyway."

Even the most hard-nosed Southampton fan would struggle to claim that they are one of the Premier League's true powerhouses, even if Hasenhuttl has those on the South Coast dreaming of another European adventure in the near future.

The Sun (6 September, page 62) reports that Fulham are also interested but do not expect to see Hinteregger join a club likely to spend 2020/21 battling against relegation.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/08/not-interested-in-money-southampton-or-fulham-wont-be-signing-20m-ace/

Fulham signing this 24-year-old Ligue 1 star would be a fantastic move by Scott Parker


Why Fulham should sign Bertrand Traore to bolster their attack
Newly promoted Fulham are interested in bringing Lyon winger Bertrand Traore back to the Premier League, according to Sky Sports. The player was on the books of Chelsea from 2014 to 2017 but played for them only during the 2015-16 season.

Profile
Traore started his youth career with Auxerre back in 2009 and officially moved to Chelsea in 2013. He was promoted to the senior squad and sent out on loan to Vitesse in 2014. A year later, he returned to the club and was handed first-team opportunities at Chelsea.

He scored 4 goals in 16 appearances but was loaned out again the following season to Ajax, where he was a part of the team that went all the way to the Europa League final. After his return, he was sold on a permanent basis to Lyon and since then, he has performed admirably for them. A right-winger by trade, Traore can play in a multitude of positions in the attack.

Do Fulham need Traore?
After a one year gap, Fulham are back in the top-flight of English football. Unlike 2018, the club have to be smart with their transfers. They wasted a huge amount of money only to get relegated at the end of the season.

Fulham are going about it the right way this time as they have secured the likes of Mario Lemina and Harrison Reed from Southampton and Anthony Knockaert from Brighton. Scott Parker is signing players with Premier League experience and while it would be a stretch to call Traore as someone with Premier League experience, at 24 years of age, he can be a smart bit of investment.

While he would have to compete for a starting place with Knockaert on the right-wing, he is someone who can pop up with frequent goals, if given the chance.

Verdict
Bertrand Traore represents a low-risk transfer that Fulham should definitely look into. In case the transfer doesn't work out, they can always sell him and if it does work out, Fulham would have an asset on their hands.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2020/09/09/fulham-linked-with-bertrand-traore-do-they-need-this-signing/

Tete set to sign for Fulham

According to Voetbal International, Kenny Tete is signing for Premier League new boys Fulham.

The 24-year-old was a back-up at Lyon and has been allowed to depart for England. A medical has already been passed and the Netherlands international will soon be confirmed as a Fulham player.

The former Ajax full-back has been with Lyon for three-years and made 80 appearances for the club. He will now battle for the right-back slot at Fulham, who will play in the Premier League this season.

Tete was with the Netherlands squad until Monday night but did not play against either Poland or Italy.

Fulham en Olympique Lyon zijn het eens over de overstap van Kenny Tete. https://t.co/kYsBIi6P70

— Voetbal International (@VI_nl) September 8, 2020

http://www.football-oranje.com/tete-set-to-sign-for-fulham/

Fulham U21s beaten at Cambridge in EFL Trophy opener

Fulham's under-21s were beaten 2-0 by Cambridge United in opening fixture of their EFL Trophy campaign as crowds returned to professional football in England for the first time.

An experimental Fulham side took a while to get into the contest against their experienced opponents. Cambridge were quickly onto the front foot, with the lively Tom Knowles denied by a timely block from Jayden Harris, who was deployed at right back. Luca Ashby-Hammond then produced a smart reaction save to keep out the young midfielder before Paul Digby went close with a pair of headers and a snapshot that flew over the bar.

Harvey Knibbs almost gave the U's the lead on nineteen minutes but his cushioned finish flashed fractionally wide, but the Abbey Stadium was able to acclaim the opening goal less than five minutes later. Knowles deservedly got on the scoresheet with a well-struck free-kick, although Ashby-Hammond will be bitterly disappointed with how easily he was beaten at his near post. Knowles then fired an inviting cross right across the face of goal and only a brave block from Conor McAvoy prevented him from grabbing his second on the stroke of half-time.

Fulham enjoyed plenty of possession in the first period, but they found more penetration the longer the game went on. Cambridge goalkeeper Callum Burton made a good reaction save to keep out a speculative drive from Harris before producing an excellent stop to thwart Sylvester Jasper, who looked Fulham's most likely source of an equaliser. Jay Stansfield, who captained the Whites for the first time, turned his man impressively but lifted his shot just over the crossbar as Colin Omogbehin's side pressed for an equaliser.

Cambridge remained a threat themselves, with Knibbs firing fractionally over as he approached the penalty area, and wrapped up the victory with five minutes to play. Substitute Paul Mullin steered home a composed finish from the edge of the box and Fulham would head home with nothing to show for their efforts, even though Jean-Pierre Tiehi looked to have been fouled in the penalty area in the closing stages.

CAMBRIDGE UNITED: Burton, Knoyle (Mullin 79), Taylor, Iredale, Dunk, Davies, Digby, May (Simper 42), Knowles, Knibbs (Ironside 81), Dallas. Subs (not used): Mitov, Hannant, Cundy, Worman.

GOALS: Knowles (24), Mullin (85).

FULHAM: L. Ashby-Hammond, Larkeche, Mundle-Smith, McAvoy, Harris, Pajaziti (Ablade 68), de Havilland, Carvalho, Davis (Tiehi 82), Jasper, Stansfield. Subs (not used): Las, O'Neill, Odutayo.

REFEREE: Darren Drysdale (Lincolnshire).

ATTENDANCE: 862.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/fulham-u21s-beaten-at-cambridge-in-efl-trophy-opener/

Report: Fulham close to signing two targets, £11m man and 13-cap international

Fulham are closing in on signing Lyon's Dutch international defender Kenny Tete, according to Sky Sports.

With Scott Parker looking to bring in proven quality in a couple of key positions ahead of the Cottagers' return to the Premier League, it's no surprise a new right-back is high on his list of priorities.

After all, while Cyrus Christie and Denis Odoi are reliable options at Championship level, an upgrade is required if Fulham don't want the right-hand side to be an obvious weak link.

Sky claims Tete, an Ajax academy graduate with 13 caps for the Netherlands, is set to sign three years after joining Lyon for £3.6 million.

Tete has fallen behind Leo Dubois in Rudi Garcia's pecking order and failed to start any of the clashes with Juventus, Manchester City and Bayern Munich as Lyon reached the Champions League semi-finals.

Interestingly, Sky adds that Fulham are also expected to sign another right-back in the shape of former Chelsea youngster Ola Aina.

An attack-minded wideman who honed his defensive instincts during a spell at Torino, the Nigeria international will arrive on loan with an option to buy for £11 million.

With that in mind, Christie and Odoi both surely face an uncertain future with just a month of the transfer window to go.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/09/report-fulham-close-to-signing-two-targets-11m-man-and-13-cap-international/

Predicted Arsenal XI vs Fulham: Saliba and Willian to start for Mikel Arteta

Arsenal will open their Premier League campaign this weekend with a tricky away trip to newly-promoted Fulham.

The Gunners will go into the game having won both the FA Cup and Community Shield in recent months and Mikel Arteta will be looking for a continuation of that sort of form into the new campaign.

It's been a busy old summer, too, for the Arsenal boss. A number of new faces have arrived while contract talks remain ongoing for the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The big signing has been defender, Gabriel Magalhaes, although this weekend could come too soon for him. Former Chelsea midfielder Willian will be pushing for a start, while William Saliba could also come in following his return to The Emirates.

A big decision for the Gunners boss will be if he goes with his 3-4-3 formation or the 4-3-3 he is expected to press ahead with in the long-run. Furthermore, Mesut Ozil may also be a surprise inclusion.

With that, then, we've taken a look at what we believe will be Arsenal's first XI for the 2020/21 campaign.




https://tbrfootball.com/predicted-arsenal-xi-vs-fulham-saliba-and-willian-to-start-for-mikel-arteta/

Report: Fulham can sign ex-Real Madrid man for £8m, he earns £150k a week

Fulham can sign Paris Saint-Germain's France international goalkeeper Alphonse Areola for a bargain £8 million this summer, according to L'Equipe.

While the newly promoted Cottagers were never likely to repeat that disastrous summer splurge of 2018, when they wasted more than £100 million on the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa, it's fair to say Scott Parker and co were expecting a bit more action in this transfer window.


Danny Owen
Danny Owen
20 minutes ago
Photo by Perez Meca/MB Media/Getty Images

Fulham can sign Paris Saint-Germain's France international goalkeeper Alphonse Areola for a bargain £8 million this summer, according to L'Equipe.

While the newly promoted Cottagers were never likely to repeat that disastrous summer splurge of 2018, when they wasted more than £100 million on the likes of Jean Michael Seri and Andre-Franck Zambo Anguissa, it's fair to say Scott Parker and co were expecting a bit more action in this transfer window.
7 Most Injury Prone Footballers

The only new faces so far are Mario Lemina and Antonee Robinson, the former joining on loan and the latter from crisis-club Wigan for just £1.5 million.

Matia Perin, Callum Wilson, Ollie Watkins, Ben Gibson and Grady Diangana have all slipped through the net too.

However, a deal to sign a three-time Ligue 1 winner who spent last season on loan at Real Madrid would represent a sizeable step in the right direction.

After Sky claimed Fulham had entered talks with PSG, L'Equipe reports the Champions League runners-up are willing to sell academy graduate Areola for a bargain £8 million.

The 27-year-old has fallen behind Keylor Navas in Thomas Tuchel's pecking order, while Sergio Rico signed a permanent deal at the weekend.

It remains to be seen whether Fulham can afford to pay Areola's £150,000-a-week wages – or whether he would be keen to join a team that faces a relegation battle.

Rennes are also interested and the Brittany-based outfit will be playing Champions League football next season.

Interestingly, however, Areola recently purchased a house in London.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/09/report-fulham-can-sign-ex-real-madrid-man-for-8m-he-earns-150k-a-week/