Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 28/01/26...

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"Sell him immediately" – Club urged to take Fulham money and run, won't get it again
PSV Eindhoven should take Fulham's €32m bid for Ricardo Pepi and run it, as they won't receive such an offer again.

That's according to Rafael van der Vaart and Pierre van Hooijdonk, via Voetbal Zone. They think the Dutch side are foolish to reject such an offer for the striker.

Fulham have once again moved to sign Pepi this month after trying for him in the summer. Reports over the weekend suggested a €32m bid had been rejected by PSV.

Marco Silva's side have been keen on the striker for a while. But the Dutch club have regularly knocked them back, insisting that the offers from Craven Cottage were not good enough.

Indeed, it has been suggested they want upwards of €40m for their man. According to reports in the Netherlands, PSV are banking on him having a good World Cup in the summer and increasing his value there. They don't want to sell early and lose out on that potential World Cup bonus.

Fulham, though, continue to test their resolve. They seem determined to sign the striker, despite him currently being out with a broken arm. That's expected to see him miss another month, although he is back in individual training at PSV.

Explanation and encouragement to accept Fulham offer
Van der Vaart and Van Hooijdonk are clearly surprised at their efforts and think PSV should take the money and run.

"I'd sell him immediately for that amount," said the former.

"I think he's a good striker, but he'll never fetch that price again. So, I would sell him immediately. I think he's a good player, but I don't believe he'll score many more goals. He's not really a starter yet, so €32 million, come on.

"I think he can definitely increase in value," added Van Hooijdonk.

"At €32m outright, I wouldn't know, but if you can get €32m and on top of that a good resale percentage, I would."



https://sportwitness.co.uk/sell-him-immediately-club-urged-to-take-fulham-money-and-run-wont-get-it-again/

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Manchester City respond to Fulham's opening January offer for Oscar Bobb
Manchester City have knocked back Fulham's initial bid for Oscar Bobb as talks continue between the clubs with an intent to reach an agreement, as per a new report.

Fulham are leading the race to sign the 22-year-old forward in the closing week of the January transfer window, with Bobb set to leave Manchester City to revitalise his career ahead of this summer's FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Bobb has endured an injury-riddled 18 months and thereby struggled for regular minutes in the Manchester City first-team this term, despite starting his boyhood club's first three Premier League games of the season against Wolves, Tottenham and Brighton.

The Norway international burst onto the scene after scoring an injury-time winner in a monumental 3-2 win over Newcastle at St. James' Park in January 2024 en route to a historic fourth successive Premier League title for Manchester City.

However, the City academy graduate has failed to make the cut since and with Pep Guardiola adding Antoine Semenyo to his attack this month, executives at the Etihad Stadium have left the door open for Bobb to leave the club in January.

As negotiations continue between Manchester City and Fulham for the winger, the Blues have rejected an initial offer from the west London club for Bobb, though Fulham remain in pole position to sign the Norwegian in what remains of the January transfer window, as reported by David Ornstein of The Athletic.

Manchester City are struggling with a dire injury situation and Guardiola needs players he can rely upon as the Blues compete for silverware on four fronts in the second half of the season. John Stones and Nathan Ake – both hardly reliable from a fitness standpoint – are expected to leave City in the summer.

City have also left the door open for Kalvin Phillips and Stefan Ortega Moreno to find new clubs before the January window closes, with no new arrivals expected at the Etihad Stadium after the shrewd, stellar acquisitions of Semenyo and England international Marc Guehi.

Borussia Dortmund vested an interest in Bobb ahead of January but were put off by the finances involved in a potential deal, with the German outfit refusing to comply with Manchester City's insistence on a permanent buy option at the end of the season – should Dortmund prefer an initial loan.

Fulham manager Marco Silva is understood to be spearheading the Craven Cottage club's pursuit of Bobb, who needs a fresh start to reignite a career that has struggled to progress for one reason or the other at the Etihad Stadium in the last year-and-a-half.

Competition on the wings is as stiff as it has ever been for Manchester City, with Omar Marmoush also set to stay at the club beyond January after returning to the scoresheet in a 2-0 win over Wolves on his first start for the Blues since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.

Manchester City value Bobb at £35 million and are expected to insert a sell-on clause in the winger's contract at Fulham – should the clubs reach an agreement for the forward.



https://cityxtra.co.uk/40783/manchester-city-respond-to-fulhams-opening-january-offer-for-oscar-bobb/

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Why are Fulham shelling out for Oscar Bobb?
Reports claim a deal for Man City's academy prospect is nearly done - so what can we expect?

It seems that Fulham's first signing is imminent, with Manchester City's Oscar Bobb the player in question.

Reports are coming out all over that the deal is a foregone conclusion, with Fulham said to be paying between £35-40m for the 22 year old, who will sign on a five-year-deal.

This is a lot of money for someone who has only played three full 90-minute games in the Premier League, so why are Fulham taking the punt?

An explosive threat
Bobb exploded onto the scene during the 2023/24 season, playing on 14 different occasions in the Premier League, with his crowning moment being scoring a late winner away at Newcastle United. The youngster picked up a bad injury in preseason ahead of 2024/25 and has struggled to get back into the City fold since making just 12 Premier League appearances in the last 18 months. But it's his 2023/24 numbers that might explain why Fulham are willing to take the risk.

During 23/24, Bobb averaged 2.68 key passes per 90 (compared to Harry Wilson's 1.20 this season) and his xG buildup averaged at 0.96 compared to Wilson's 0.09.

So, what does all this mean? Bobb played a lot fewer minutes than Wilson, so these stats should be taken with a pinch of salt due to the smaller sample size, but what it also means is that Bobb is explosive, dynamic, and a livewire on the right-hand side.

Yes, Bobb has struggled since, but failure to get into Manchester City's XI doesn't always equate to failure in the Premier League - in fact, quite the opposite, with Cole Palmer and James McAtee making moves in recent years (though hopefully Bobb is more like the former academy grad).

It's also worth pointing out that Bobb has still impressed for Norway during their World Cup Qualifying campaign despite limited minutes for City. The player is there, he just needs minutes to be able to express himself.

The future?
There's no doubt that Oscar Bobb would be a real statement of intent for Fulham, but where does it leave the rest of the squad?

There have been a few suggestions that Bobb's signing will see the end for Harry Wilson, personally I don't think that's the case. Fulham need contingency plans and while it's been reported previously this month we're targeting a forward and midfielder, once the opportunity to sign Bobb arose, the club had to snap that up.

Plus, Marco Silva has already confirmed that Adama Traore will leave Fulham during this window, so the most logical way to view this is as an upgrade to the muscly substitute - and what an upgrade it'd be, even just in terms of potential.

Bobb will provide much needed competition down the right for Wilson and will help raise the squad's ceiling tenfold, the move facilities Adama's departure to West Ham and as a result means that Alex Iwobi will probably slot into midfield for the remainder of the season with our wide options looking healthy.

I wouldn't worry too much about what this means for Wilson and focus more on how exciting of a signing this is for Fulham.

We're targeting a young, exciting winger who will help elevate this squad. It's exactly the type of business Fulham need to do to finally make that leap from European flirters to European competitors. Bobb, Wilson, Chukwueze and Kevin. It's an exciting time to be a Fulham fan.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/why-are-fulham-shelling-out-for-oscar

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Fulham working on deal to sign Oh Hyeon-gyu, player offered to Leeds United
Fulham will reportedly look to sign 24-year-old South Korean international Oh Hyeon-gyu from KRC Genk in the winter transfer window.

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Oh Hyeon-gyu is the subject of interest from Fulham. The Cottagers are keen on reinforcing their offensive unit by signing a striker in the winter transfer window. So, the 24-year-old KRC Genk centre-forward has emerged as a target for the West London club. However, they are not alone in the battle for his signature, as intermediaries have offered him to Crystal Palace and Leeds United.

Who is Oh Hyeon-gyu?
Oh Hyeon-gyu has made considerable progress since joining KRC Genk from Celtic in July 2024. Born in Namyangju, the 24-year-old spent his formative years in South Korea and began his professional career in his homeland before arriving in Europe by joining Celtic in January 2023. However, his stint with the Scottish giants ended after only 18 months.

The South Korean international has enjoyed a solid 2025/26 campaign thus far, scoring ten goals and providing three assists in 30 appearances across all competitions. Meanwhile, Oh's progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several well-known clubs, including Fulham. Meanwhile, intermediaries have offered Crystal Palace and Leeds United the chance to sign him in the winter transfer window.

Premier League move on the horizon?
Fulham will dip into the market for a striker in the final days of the winter transfer window. While Raul Jimenez has produced some impressive performances, he is approaching the end of his career. Additionally, Rodrigo Muniz has spent most of the 2025/26 season in the treatment room due to a hamstring injury. Several candidates, including Ricardo Pepi, are thus on Fulham's radar, with Oh also a viable target.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace can do with a player like Oh Hyeon-gyu. Widespread speculations have linked Jean-Philippe Mateta with a move away from the South London club, with Nottingham Forest joining the battle for his signature. So, Crystal Palace must sign a long-term replacement, with Oh being an option worth considering.

As for Leeds United, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been excellent in the 2025/26 season, the other strikers in Daniel Farke's squad have not been consistent enough. With Farke utilising the 3-5-2 formation during Leeds United's recent resurgent run, Oh is an option worth considering for the West Yorkshire outfit.

However, while intermediaries have offered the 24-year-old South Korean international to Crystal Palace and Leeds United, Fulham will hope to secure his services in the final week of the winter transfer window, as they are "pushing hard" to finalise a deal. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the KRC Genk striker.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/01/27/fulham-working-on-deal-to-sign-oh-hyeon-gyu-player-offered-to-leeds-united/

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Oscar Bobb verbally agrees personal terms with Fulham, deal close
Manchester City attacker Oscar Bobb has been linked with a move away from the club this month, with Fulham closing in on signing him.

Oscar Bobb has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester City since the arrival of Antoine Semenyo. The youngster has been mulling over leaging the English club to play more often. Sitting on the bench at Manchester City at this stage of his career would be disappointing for him.

According to an update by reputed German journalist Florian Plettenberg, the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms with Fulham, and a deal could be close now. The West London club is expected to sign the 22-year-old attacker in a £35-40 million deal.

They need more quality and depth in the attacking unit, and the Norwegian winger could be useful for them. He has shown his quality in the Premier League with Manchester City. The player is highly rated across the country, and he has a bright future. He is young enough to develop further, and regular football at the London club could bring out the best in him.

Manchester City should cash in on Oscar Bobb
Meanwhile, Manchester City will not be able to offer him regular opportunities, and it makes sense for them to cash in on Oscar Bobb and use the funds to improve the other areas of the squad. £35-£40 million for an unwanted player is a lot of money, and Manchester City are unlikely to stand in his way.

It will be interesting to see whether the 22-year-old can complete the move quickly and return to focusing on his football. He will look to establish himself as a key player for the West London club.

Fulham have done quite well this season, and they could finish in a respectable position. The Cottagers will look to sustain their current run of form until the end of the season, and they need quality players to do so.

Bobb could be a key player for them. He is capable of operating on either flank, and he will add pace and creativity to the team. If he manages to fulfil his potential, he could easily justify the £35-40 million investment.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/01/27/oscar-bobb-verbally-agrees-personal-terms-with-fulham-deal-close/

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Man Utd hit with crushing injury blow ahead of Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham clashes
Manchester United have been hit with a big injury blow ahead of clashes with a trio of London clubs.

Manchester United have been handed a big injury blow ahead of their clashes with Fulham and Tottenham. The Red Devils have been rejuvenated by interim boss Michael Carrick, who was appointed for the rest of the season following Ruben Amorim's departure.

Carrick has led Man United to wins over Manchester City and Arsenal, moving up to fourth place as a consequence, though while those wins are no small achievement, Carrick will be judged on how he manages during a stickier spell.

Next comes a home clash with Fulham for the Red Devils before Tottenham come to town on February 7. Three days later, the Red Devils then head to West Ham in the mid-week, on February 10 to round off three straight games against London clubs.

Fulham are up to seventh in the league after a big win over Brighton last time out, while Tottenham can only dream of such a position, now in 14th spot and with their season crumbling in front of their eyes. West Ham are, of course, in relegation trouble, five points from safety, but they have picked up some much-needed confidence after beating Spurs and Sunderland.

Man Utd injury blow
For all of those games, Man Utd will be without key player Patrick Dorgu, who scored an absolute screamer against Arsenal over the weekend. Later in the game, Dorgu picked up a hamstring injury during the game, and according to The Athletic , he will miss up to 10 weeks of action, though the injury is still being assessed to get a more concrete timeline.

What the Red Devils do know is that Dorgu will be out until after the March international break. Elsewhere, Man Utd are doing pretty well with injuries, with only Mathijs de Ligt out with a back injury.

Speaking after the game, Carrick said of Dorgu's performance: "Pat has been a big, big player for us over the last couple of games, in so many ways. Obviously attacking wise he's scored goals, but I think in terms of the threat and his athleticism and his quality coming in as well and the connections, I think.

"Defensively, he's been immense as well down the side with Luke [Shaw] doubling up against two teams that ask a lot of questions down the sides. So it's a big, big job for him. I'm delighted for him, because the two goals he's scoring they're very different goals but he's put so much into the performances, it's nice to see him smiling and happy. He obviously came off with, hopefully, a little bit of cramp.

"Hopefully it's nothing worse, but he ended up coming off and it just shows what he put into the performance, and hopefully he's not too bad."

Carrick, of course, was not aware of the hamstring injury at the time of those comments.

Carrick on fast start
Speaking about his start on the Man Utd touchline, Carrick said: "I understood what a tough two games it was to start with, but we've got tough games coming up. These are the best ones to win in terms of getting that feeling and that emotion - getting that confidence and that lift.

"The boys have been fantastic, we've had less than two weeks together to put things in place and to try to do the things we've asked. There's still layers that we want to get to. We want to improve. But in terms of what it's taken to win these two games, they've done great."



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/spurs/man-utd-injury-blow-tottenham-5492360

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Fulham winger Traore set for West Ham move
West Ham are set to sign Fulham winger Adama Traore on a permanent deal, with the move subject to a medical.

The 30‑year‑old is close to a reported £2m switch from west to east London, where he will be reunited with Nuno Espirito Santo, who managed him at Wolves.

Capped eight times by Spain, Traore has made just two Premier League starts for Fulham this season and was not involved in their most recent 2–1 win at home to Brighton on Saturday.

Having started his career at Barcelona, Traore had spells at Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Wolves before joining Fulham in 2023 on a free transfer.

West Ham have been among the most active teams in the January transfer window, signing forwards Pablo Felipe from Gil Vicente for £20m and Taty Castellanos from Lazio for £25.2m.

They are also in talks to sell midfielder Lucas Paqueta to Flamengo, having already sold Guido Rodriguez to Valencia and Luis Guilherme to Sporting, while German Niclas Fullkrug has joined AC Milan on loan.

The Hammers' busy winter window comes with the club still in the relegation zone on 20 points, five off safety despite winning their last two league matches, with 15 fixtures left to play.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9vx3rvv2klo

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Relief for Everton as Rafael van der Vaart says Fulham are helping Toffees avoid £28m mistake
Everton are set to miss out on a transfer target to Fulham.

Reports earlier this month claimed that Everton had shortlisted Ricardo Pepi of PSV Eindhoven as David Moyes hunts for a new striker.

However, the Toffees are set to miss out after Fulham made a £28m bid for the United States international – a sum just below the £30m valuation, although the BBC say the Cottagers are optimistic over an agreement.

While that may upset some Everton fans, former Real Madrid and Tottenham star Rafael van der Vaart believes Marco Silva is about to save The Friedkin Group from an expensive mistake.

Rafael van der Vaart says "come on" after hearing talk of Ricardo Pepi being worth £28m
Speaking on Studio Voetbal, the Dutchman advised PSV Eindhoven to sell Pepi "immediately" with £28m on the line, claiming that the 23-year-old will never be worth that much again.

Van der Vaart said: "I'd sell him immediately for that amount. I think he's a good striker, but he'll never fetch that price again. So, I would sell him immediately. I think he's a good player, but I don't believe he'll score many more goals. He's not really a starter yet, so €32m (£28m), come on."

Therefore, it may not be the wisest move for Everton to match that bid for Pepi, if The Friedkin Group are thinking about doing so.

A loan deal makes the most sense for Everton amid Thierno Barry resurgence
At this moment in time, Moyes may feel he has less of a need for a new striker compared to the start of the month.

After equalising against Leeds on Monday night, Thierno Barry has now scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances.

That is a hugely impressive streak for a player who only recently turned 23 and is experiencing his first season of Premier League football, following a £27m move from Villarreal back in July 2025.

Therefore, it would make little sense for Everton to disturb Barry by spending heavily on another striker, when all Moyes really needs until the summer is a talented option on loan who can provide stronger competition for the Frenchman than Beto currently is.



https://www.everton.news/relief-for-everton-as-rafael-van-der-vaart-says-fulham-are-helping-toffees-avoid-28m-mistake/

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Leeds, Everton learn Harry Wilson's stance on new Fulham contract as Cottagers near 'exciting' new signing
Harry Wilson's decision over the long-term future at Fulham is not expected to be influenced by a move for Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb, but Premier League clubs are waiting to strike should he become available.

Fulham believe their proposed deal for Bobb is one of the most exciting pieces of business of the current transfer window, with the Whites attempting to finalise an agreement in the region of £35m.

As reported, the club have also been pushing to land PSV striker Ricardo Pepi, and there is a growing belief among sources that this show of ambition may well play a key role in persuading manager Marco Silva to commit his future to the club by signing a new contract.

Wilson's situation, however, has remained less clear.

The Welsh international's future has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks, with some feeling that he has been reluctant to sign a contract extension amid the possibility of interest from other top-flight clubs.

The winger's current deal expires at the season's end, and that has put clubs on red alert. We revealed that Leeds United and Everton are keeping tabs on the situation – ready to make a move if he becomes available on a free transfer.

Wilson has notched an impressive eight goals and four assists in the Premier League this term, and Fulham are doing all they can to retain him.

Sources stress that Wilson is not actively pushing for a move away and remains very happy with his role under Silva at Craven Cottage.

Fulham, for their part, already have a new contract prepared and are keen to secure his future.

Importantly, insiders insist Bobb is not being targeted as a replacement for Wilson – or with any expectation that the former Liverpool man will leave.

Instead, Fulham view the Man City winger as a market opportunity to significantly enhance the squad and increase competition across the attacking positions.

But Bobb will also fill a void that could be left by Adama Traore, who is close to leaving Fulham for West Ham United.

We revealed on January 14 that Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been very keen on reuniting with Traore at the London Stadium.

Recent reports suggested that negotiations had broken down, but the interest has never gone away and now West Ham are pushing to to finalise Traore's signing imminently.



https://www.teamtalk.com/news/harry-wilson-leeds-everton-transfer-crucial-contract-talks-fulham-oscar-bobb-signing-close