Winter Silly Season Transfer Thread 2025/2026

[jayffc]

I see that palace have nailed down the transfer of Brendan Johnson within 48 hours of window opening. Here is a player well in contract, rival premier league team and their top scoring player of last season.
For the record it is not a player that I rate but it proves that there are deals available and they can be concluded quickly.
You would have thought we would have had realistic offers tabled  and medicals awaiting for at least a couple of players within the first 5 days of the window.

Sure - if the player wants out and the club has made it clear they're willing to move them on which is the case with Brennan. Sadly not so with Pepi who we clearly are high on as a first choice having bid in the summer too. In that case we've reportedly been talking for some time, but they have a striker injury problem and Pepi is back in hot scoring form so there's no real desire to sell unless we offer a hell of a lot it seems.

Sterling should be more simple BUT then theres the question still of if he's our main target, that I don't know. It seemed also the same in summer seemingly, but he appeared to be the secondary backup option in the end to Chukueze as he wasn't signed in the end as all links went cold once Chuk move was finally sanctioned by Milan. Possible that's the case again. We'll know soon know either way.

And by your own admission it's a player you don't rate. Incidentally it's one I like but perhaps not at £35m so sure, you can buy a player early at significant cost, but doesn't mean it's the right buy for us. Anyway. At least in January it's only 30 days of will we won't we 

[jayffc]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006691969398198699?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet


Hernandez is like Cherki who can use both feet on the wing... could be a valuable asset.

An exciting talent, best of the names I have heard to date ...

p.s obligatory video of player we'll almost definately never sign
 

Can't say I've seen much of him but he's been linked with Barca and Madrid of late allegedly

[jayffc]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006840321666330756?s=20

[jayffc]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006858065140990282?s=20

[fulhamfever]

Sterling pressure is off for him if he signs for a mid table team like us no expectations to win a trophy etc might work in his favour

[jayffc]

https://x.com/i/status/2006660241941999891

[demeant0r]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006858065140990282?s=20

I'm guessing it's so we can free up a loan spot? Makes no sense to trigger it now rather than before the end of the loan.

[Deeping_white]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006858065140990282?s=20

I'm guessing it's so we can free up a loan spot? Makes no sense to trigger it now rather than before the end of the loan.

I think non-domestic loans don't have a cap so I don't really know why we'd do it; we've still got our 2 PL loan spots free

[demeant0r]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006858065140990282?s=20

I'm guessing it's so we can free up a loan spot? Makes no sense to trigger it now rather than before the end of the loan.

I think non-domestic loans don't have a cap so I don't really know why we'd do it; we've still got our 2 PL loan spots free

Could it be a bargaining chip to get Marco to sign?

[jayffc]

Is it possible that the wage agreement we have in place in our pre agreed option, should we sign him full time, is lower than the wages he's on at Milan that were currently paying?

Id be surprised, but that feels like the only way it'd make sense to me

[Bassey the warrior]

Sterling hasn't played all season so presumably he will need time to build his match fitness, which isn't ideal.

[@jolslover]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006691969398198699?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet


Hernandez is like Cherki who can use both feet on the wing... could be a valuable asset.

This would be outrageous signing but don't think it would happen and not sure source is that reliable (see their other posts about Vinicius to Chelsea  and Bellingham to United)

[JimOG]

https://x.com/FulhamTransfer/status/2006840321666330756?s=20

Does he look a bit 'podgy'?

[jayffc]

Sterling hasn't played all season so presumably he will need time to build his match fitness, which isn't ideal.

Mentioned further up thread but reality is he's likely replacing Adama, in which case he really only needs to be able to play 15-20mins initially at this stage. So in theory can be built up to match fitness steadily.

[FFC1987]

Sterling hasn't played all season so presumably he will need time to build his match fitness, which isn't ideal.

Mentioned further up thread but reality is he's likely replacing Adama, in which case he really only needs to be able to play 15-20mins initially at this stage. So in theory can be built up to match fitness steadily.

And perhaps he'll be fit just in time for the next team to snap him up next season. So we've basically done chelsea a bit of a favour by contributing to his wages....I'd say that's more likely the reality.

Not sure I'd say he looks podgey though. Just a player who hasn't been training competitively for a long time....

[jayffc]

Sterling hasn't played all season so presumably he will need time to build his match fitness, which isn't ideal.

Mentioned further up thread but reality is he's likely replacing Adama, in which case he really only needs to be able to play 15-20mins initially at this stage. So in theory can be built up to match fitness steadily.

And perhaps he'll be fit just in time for the next team to snap him up next season. So we've basically done chelsea a bit of a favour by contributing to his wages....I'd say that's more likely the reality.

Not sure I'd say he looks podgey though. Just a player who hasn't been training competitively for a long time....

I mean it shouldnt take him 6 months to get fit enough to play as we need him 😅 The body is pretty impressively responsive if you have a previous history of such exercise...plus we should have Chukqueze and Iwobi back in Feb anyway.

Long as he can play 10-20 mins anywhere across our attack for the next 2 months when we need him and contribute that way, and his contribution is more impactful than Adama has been this season, then that's all we really need him to do for now. If he gets match fit quicker than that and earns a chance to start, bonus. But our main need for now is to match Traores minutes at a minimum. As for the podgy stuff above - if that's even a new photo - you can see his six pack through the shirt 😂 If that's podgy I might just jump out a window ha

[SP]

If these reports are true, the times are certainly changing if a player is choosing us over WHU.

[General]

If these reports are true, the times are certainly changing if a player is choosing us over WHU.

If he signs, it wouldn't surprise me if he knows a number of players in the squad who've given him positive ideas about the club, team dynamic and about Marco as a manager.

Iwobi, bassey, ESR are three that spring to mind as all are london born pl players.. maybe he heard good things from Tosin, or Bettinelli..? Not sure who he crossed over with timesise as City, Arsenal and Chelsea, but there are a few there.

May vaguely know Sess due to St George's?

The crossovers could be more, or less.. but I wouldn't be surprised if he knew one or two.

I think he'd suit Marco, this squad and us.

Think we could have another player in Sterling who could push us on and give us Willian style renaissance vibes.

[FFC1987]

Sterling hasn't played all season so presumably he will need time to build his match fitness, which isn't ideal.

Mentioned further up thread but reality is he's likely replacing Adama, in which case he really only needs to be able to play 15-20mins initially at this stage. So in theory can be built up to match fitness steadily.

And perhaps he'll be fit just in time for the next team to snap him up next season. So we've basically done chelsea a bit of a favour by contributing to his wages....I'd say that's more likely the reality.

Not sure I'd say he looks podgey though. Just a player who hasn't been training competitively for a long time....

I mean it shouldnt take him 6 months to get fit enough to play as we need him 😅 The body is pretty impressively responsive if you have a previous history of such exercise...plus we should have Chukqueze and Iwobi back in Feb anyway.

Long as he can play 10-20 mins anywhere across our attack for the next 2 months when we need him and contribute that way, and his contribution is more impactful than Adama has been this season, then that's all we really need him to do for now. If he gets match fit quicker than that and earns a chance to start, bonus. But our main need for now is to match Traores minutes at a minimum. As for the podgy stuff above - if that's even a new photo - you can see his six pack through the shirt 😂 If that's podgy I might just jump out a window ha

I guess this is partly my issue with it. If Sterling is any good, and the wages he'll be demanding, surely the requirement has to be more impactful  than squad player, for 15-20 mins.....I appreciate you're saying well, its to replace Adama in the aggregate, but surely we already have that in our squad via Iwobi, King, ESR, Chuku, Wilson, Sess and Kevin so really, we should be bringing in quality over quantity with a long term objective  firmly in place
? I'm struggling to appreciate whether this transfer is good for the short term because of question marks over his fitness (and when he was fit at Arsenal he didn't look anymore close to pre 2022 levels), and I think it likely Sterling will want wages we can't offer (assumption on my part) when Chelsea inevitably pay his contract off next season so unless we see him as say a 1-2 year player, unless he comes in and lights up the league which, I'm personally sceptical, this just lazy in recruitment terms. You might as well bring Willian back.....

On the fitness point mate, it's going to take Sterling a long time to get competitively fit let alone match fit. Yes, the bodies responsive, but at those levels required, its not a quick job and that's before we even start talking about match fit for a player who hasn't played 90 minutes in a loooooooooong time.

Added: If he comes in I'll shut up and hope he provides though. Just not sure again of how people feel he suits us really. He's not the sort of winger a mid table side that requires tracking/pressing.

[SuffolkWhite]

I think I'd rather see a Sttiker and box to box midfielder coming in first than Sterling. But, like I have said before, if the wages are right for us and it's only a loan to the end of the season, why not.