Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 24/06/26...

[WhiteJC]

World Cup 2026: Timo's Belgium held by Iran
Belgium's World Cup campaign continued with another stalemate as they were held to a goalless draw by Iran in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The Red Devils created a lot more than their opponents, but were given a reprieve when Mehdi Taremi's finish following a smart Iran free-kick was ruled out by VAR for offside.

Castagne was introduced in the 58th minute, but his team suffered a setback moments later when centre-back Nathan Ngoy was shown a straight red card.

Despite having to sacrifice Romelu Lukaku for another defender, Belgium continued to make chances, with one of them seeing Maxime De Cuyper connect with a Castagne cross, but the Brighton full-back was denied by the excellent Alireza Beiranvand in the Iran net.

While not ideal, it's far from a disaster for Belgium, who will still qualify for the knockouts should they defeat New Zealand in their final group game on Saturday.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/june/22/world-cup-2026-timo-castagne-belgium-held-by-iran/

[WhiteJC]

Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford make concrete moves – PL trio need hefty big for signing
Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford are battling for Trabzonspor's Christ Inao Oulaï this summer.

The Ivory Coast international joined the Süper Lig side from SC Bastia in August 2025 and has enjoyed his debut season.

The midfielder has played 2,401 minutes from 31 matches, managing two goals and four assists. He has been one of the Turkish club's standout players this season.

This hasn't gone unnoticed in the UK, as Sunderland, Fulham, Brentford and other clubs have shown interest.

Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford keen
The Premier League trio are fighting to sign Christ Inao Oulaï. That's according to 225 Foot, who covers the latest on Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford.

His performances for Trabzonspor have caught the attention of the three English clubs' scouts, who have watched him closely. The report states the trio have already made concrete moves by contacting his agent.

There's belief the youngster's displays and profile would suit the needs of the Premier League. This is another factor that would have convinced Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford to make him their priority midfield target.

Oulaï's form for the Turkish club helped him make debut for Ivory Coast last November and is now part of Emerse Faé's squad at the World Cup. He came off the bench in the 1-0 win over Ecuador and played the full 90 minutes in the defeat to Germany.

Summer deal won't be cheap
The midfielder's performances have convinced Trabzonspor to ask for a big fee. The Turkish club are demanding a hefty price, without the report mentioning a figure.

Christ Inao Oulaï has a contract until 2030, and Transfermarkt value him at €23m. This is the highest value of his career.

With Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford battling, there could be a bidding war for his signature. Last month, Sport Witness covered claims from Turkey of Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea interest.

225 Foot end their report by stating: 'One thing is certain: the Elephants' midfielder is poised to be a key figure this summer, and England is welcoming him with open arms.'

There could be developments after the national team's World Cup campaign. A potential move depends on his suitors making a convincing offer to Trabzonspor.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/sunderland-fulham-and-brentford-make-concrete-moves-pl-trio-need-hefty-big-for-signing/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's new manager must embrace the stats to gain an edge
Can our incoming gaffer go a step further than Silva and fully take advantage of football's latest tactical trends?

At the 2024 Hudl Statsbomb conference in Manchester, a data scientist named Lorenzo Cascioli presented his findings in a panel called "Boot it: A pragmatic alternative to build up play."

In his study, Cascioli compared how often professional football teams, in the next 10 actions, score in a football game after kicking a ball out of bounds and giving a throw in to the other side (that they can press to try and win back possession) compared to when a squad makes a backwards pass in an attempt to build up possession from the back.

What Cascioli explored was to see if the idea of booting it long pays off, if the player doing the kicking can boot it out of bounds near the other team's penalty area.

Cascioli came up with this premise when he saw Slovakia at the Euros kick the ball out and then successfully force Jeremy Doku to turn over the ball in Belgium's penalty area, which led to an easy goal for Slovakia.

He also saw his native Italy fall victim to the same situation against Romania (after Romania kicked the ball out at the start of the match and successfully pressed and scored the fastest goal in the history of the Euros).

As the chart below shows, according to Cascioli's study, teams that try to build up from a backwards pass have a 0.2% likelihood of scoring in the next next 10 actions, while teams that boot out score 0.34% of the time in the next 10 actions.



So, according to this analysis, teams get into better scoring opportunities more often when they kick the ball out in high value areas and press and win it back than when they try to keep possession and pass the ball into those areas against a settled defense.

It makes sense. Building the ball up via possession from the back, moving the ball into areas heavily defended and scoring is a very hard thing to do. And as we know from watching Fulham's central defenders trying to pass through pressure, pressing teams at the back can pay off because the defense is unsettled and there are real opportunities to score when you can win the ball in the other team's penalty area.

Last season, many Premier League teams took notice of Cascioli's findings and started booting the ball out of bounds with some success. As Opta analyst noted:

    Already in 2025-26, three kick-offs have been booted straight out of play in the final third of the pitch for an opposition throw-in. That's three times as many occasions as in the last five seasons combined. In other words, it's happened three times in 30 Premier League games this season, after happening just once in the previous 1,900.

Cascioli's approach is also being used, notably, by teams in the current World Cup. One Premier League team that didn't boot it long last season - as we all know - was Fulham. Because our manager, Marco Silva, strongly believed in building from the back, because Fulham was last in the league in terms of sequences pressed (per game) and because Bernd Leno is terrible with his feet and not really able to reliably kick the ball where he wants (although this one time he did kick it right where Cascioli recommends).

Silva in many ways was an anachronistic manager. While he was pragmatic (and changed how we played after Fulham's promotion) he generally wanted to play beautiful football and not the odds. This was, in my view, sometimes problematic given our team's constant struggle to score after getting in the final third.

Interestingly, the one area where Silva did play the odds in the final third - and against formerly conventional wisdom - was with long range shooting last season.

He had Harry Wilson shoot more frequently from long range even though these new shots had - relatively speaking - a lower xG - or likelihood of scoring - than balls shot closer to the goal.

Silva was, in this case, implementing recommendations from statistical analysis that originated with a 2021 paper entitled "Leaving Goals on the Pitch: Evaluating Decision Making in Soccer." The paper, by Roy, Robberechts, Yang, De Raedt, and Davis found that:

    Analysis of the popular expected goals (xG) metric in soccer has determined that a (slightly) smaller number of high-quality attempts will likely yield more goals than a slew of low-quality ones. This observation has driven a change in shooting behavior. Teams are passing up on shots from outside the penalty box, in the hopes of generating a better shot closer to goal later on. Our key conclusion is that teams are overcompensating: all teams would score more goals if they shot more often from outside the penalty box in a small number of team-specific locations.

The paper illustrated what they meant in a team-by-team analysis (as the graphic comparing shots by Chelsea and Everton shows below). The redder spots are where teams can have the most success with shooting from distance rather than trying to dribble, pass to closer, higher xG spots for shooting.



Silva changed how Fulham (and Wilson) played in response to this finding.

It was better to have the Welsh wizard take a low xG shot with his magic left foot from the top of the box, when that was open, rather than to try and get to a closer spot (and to be able to get a higher xG opportunity).

As the Athletic pointed out in the heat map below, Harry's shooting this season changed compared to earlier seasons. He suddenly stopped trying to get closer to the goal and started taking a lot more low xg shots on the edge of the box.



And, the strategy worked. Harry got a lot of (low xG) goals (and as a result exceeded expected xG with actual goals) as did a few other Fulham players.



Note, I haven't updated this chart since this piece was published but, unfortunately, Harry didn't score many more afterward. But, the fact that Harry can do this is a big reason why he is suddenly attracting interest from multiple teams.

Hopefully, our next manager can build on what Silva started and implement on field changes to take advantage of additional statistical opportunities on the pitch including, in the right situation, booting it out more and pressing.

It is an opportunity to unwind some of the problematic decisions Silva made including having Bernd Leno continue to start at goal in a league where it is increasingly important to have a goalie who is strong with their feet and to start having Fulham more aggressively press and seek to win the ball back in advantageous areas of the pitch.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/fulhams-new-manager-must-embrace

[WhiteJC]

Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford locked in transfer battle for £20m international midfielder – reports
Sunderland have reportedly joined Fulham and Brentford in the race for a £20m Ivory Coast international midfielder

Sunderland are reportedly battling Fulham and Brentford for Trabzonspor midfielder Christ Inao Oulaï this summer.

According to 225 Foot, the Premier League trio are all interested in the Ivory Coast international, who has enjoyed an impressive debut season in Turkey after joining Trabzonspor from SC Bastia in August 2025.

The report claims Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford have all watched Oulaï closely and have already made concrete moves by contacting the player's agent. Other clubs are also said to be monitoring the 20-year-old, who has quickly become one of Trabzonspor's standout players.

Oulaï has played 2,401 minutes across 31 matches this season, scoring twice and providing four assists. His performances have also helped him break into the Ivory Coast national team, with the midfielder making his international debut last November before earning a place in Emerse Faé's World Cup squad.

He came off the bench in Ivory Coast's 1-0 win over Ecuador and then played the full 90 minutes in the defeat to Germany, further increasing his profile during a major tournament. 225 Foot claims Oulaï's performances and profile are viewed as well-suited to the demands of the Premier League, with Sunderland, Fulham and Brentford all convinced enough to make him a priority midfield target.

A summer deal would not come cheaply, though. Trabzonspor are said to be demanding a significant fee for the midfielder, who is under contract until 2030, of around £20million. The length of his contract leaves Trabzonspor in a strong negotiating position, while interest from several Premier League clubs could yet create competition for his signature. Last month, reports in Turkey also credited Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea with interest.



https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/sunderland-transfer-news-fulham-brentford-8752560

[WhiteJC]

Fulham close to finalising manager – Has snubbed AC Milan
Marco Silva ended his five-year spell at Fulham to join Benfica.

The Premier League side wanted to secure him to an improved contract, but he left for the Eagles.

Earlier this month, Silva said the emotional aspect was a factor in his decision to leave Fulham, despite being comfortable in England.

He said: "The emotional side carried great weight in my decision. I felt the challenge was enormous and that we were prepared for it. There is no different reason other than the name Benfica."

The Portuguese coach moved to Benfica because José Mourinho left them for Real Madrid. The latter brought in Mourinho after parting ways with Álvaro Arbeloa, who could now be on his way to the London club.

Fulham closing in on Silva's successor.
The English club are yet to appoint Marco Silva's successor but have made advances in appointing a new manager.

That's according to Marca, who state Fulham are closing in on securing Álvaro Arbeloa's services.

AC Milan have also shown interest in the 43-year-old and even held talks. However, he has favoured the Premier League side, because of their persistence and the ambitious project. These factors would have convinced him to snub the Serie A side for Fulham.

That part may well be a little PR from the Spanish newspaper on behalf of Arbeloa.

The parties have made concrete progress as his arrival in England is 'imminent'. Marca, however, makes it clear the deal is close but not finalised yet.

Fulham are working on sorting out the final details and other formalities, including filing the paperwork. They should sort this out soon, and barring a last-minute twist, Arbeloa should be Silva's successor.

Spaniard's record at Real Madrid
Álvaro Arbeloa joined the La Liga side in January, after they parted ways with Xabi Alonso.

Real Madrid promoted him to the first team, and he managed 28 matches this year. His record is as follows:

    Matches: 28
    Wins: 18
    Draws: 2
    Loses: 8
    Goals scored: 58
    Goals conceded: 34

If he joins Fulham, the Spaniard's first official game will be against Alonso's Chelsea in August



https://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-close-to-finalising-manager-has-snubbed-ac-milan/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'finalising' Alvaro Arbeloa appointment as ex-Real Madrid boss set to succeed Marco Silva
Fulham are in the process of finalising a deal to appoint Alvaro Arbeloa as the club's new head coach on a three-year contract. The former Real Madrid manager is on the verge of moving to Craven Cottage following the departure of long-serving boss Marco Silva, with advanced negotiations covering backroom staff and first-team squad planning.

Cottagers pursue new manager
The west London side have been searching for a new head coach since Silva ended his five-year tenure earlier this month to replace Jose Mourinho at Benfica. According to The Athletic, Fulham officials held initial talks with the Spanish tactician on June 10 before progressing to advanced negotiations. Although club vice-chairman Tony Khan recently stated that two leading candidates remained in the frame, executives are now rapidly accelerating paperwork to secure their primary target.

Arbeloa's long-term vision appeals to Fulham
While senior management continue to refine the final details of the contract, the sporting department has completely aligned with the Spaniard regarding the long-term vision for the first team. The club's talks with Arbeloa have covered a range of topics including the Spaniard's backroom staff and first-team squad planning. If the multi-year agreement is successfully completed, this move will mark only the second senior managerial role of the 43-year-old's coaching career.

Madrid stint provides experience
The former defender assumed the hot seat at the Bernabeu in January following Xabi Alonso's departure, inheriting a side trailing Barcelona by four points before finishing eight points adrift. His turbulent four-month spell included a shock Copa del Rey exit to second-division Albacete and a Champions League quarter-final elimination by Bayern Munich. Nevertheless, the tactical experience gained at Europe's highest level makes him an attractive replacement for Silva, who consolidated the club in the top flight.

Pre-season planning starts immediately
The incoming Spanish coach faces an incredibly demanding introduction to English football as he looks to improve upon consecutive 11th-place finishes. Should the deal be completed, Arbeloa will face his Madrid predecessor Alonso in Fulham's first Premier League game of the season, against Chelsea on August 24. This high-intensity local derby will serve as a fascinating tactical test for the former Liverpool and West Ham player during his third professional stint in the country.



https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/fulham-finalising-alvaro-arbeloa-appointment-marco-silva-successor/blt37fd1a49a0ac2699?utm_id=fa3iys5y8hyz9ezk&utm_source_platform=newsnow

[WhiteJC]

Leeds in talks over Harry Wilson signing after Fulham contract offer
Welsh winger exploring his options after a superb season, with Aston Villa and Everton also interested

Leeds are in talks to sign out-of-contract Fulham winger Harry Wilson.

Fulham have offered Wilson, whose current contract expires on June 30, a new deal and Standard Sport understands that proposal is still on the table.

Wilson, though, is exploring his options and has entered into talks with Leeds, who he came close to joining on Deadline Day last summer.

The 29-year-old nearly signed for Daniel Farke's side before Fulham pulled out of negotiations at the eleventh hour after failing to get a deal for Chelsea winger Tyrique George over the line.

Reports suggest that Leeds are prepared to offer Wilson a long-term contract and a pay rise to seal a move to Elland Road.

Wilson is in demand, with Aston Villa and Everton also credited with interest in the Wales international, after scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists in all competitions last season.

He was voted as Fulham's player of the season and was nominated for Premier League Goal of the Season after his trivela strike during the 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace in December.

Leeds enjoyed a strong season under Farke, finishing 14th in the Premier League despite being widely tipped for relegation.

Fulham, meanwhile, finished five points above Leeds in 11th but announced the departure of manager Marco Silva at the start of the month after five years at the helm.

Silva's departure came as a surprise to the club, with vice-chairman Tony Khan admitting that just three weeks ago they had expected the Portuguese - who subsequently replaced Jose Mourinho at Benfica - to stay.

Fulham are reported to be closing in on a deal to appoint ex-Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa as their new manager, though Fulham sources insist there are still two contenders in the running to take over at Craven Cottage.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-transfer-news-harry-wilson-fulham-b1287281.html

[WhiteJC]

Fulham transfer news: Super Eagles' Chibuike Nwaiwu breaks silence amid Premier League links
Super Eagles defender Chibuike Nwaiwu has emerged as a transfer target for Fulham in recent weeks as the club looks to strengthen its squad, Soccernet.ng reports.

Nwaiwu has experienced a remarkable career trajectory over the last two years. The 22-year-old—who turns 23 next month—was playing for Wolfsberger AC just two years ago.

Following consistent links to top European clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, he secured a move to Trabzonspor in January.

He adapted to life in Turkey seamlessly, appearing in 21 matches and contributing three goals and one assist. His presence at the club propelled the Black Sea Storm to challenge for the Super Lig title and the Turkish Cup, which they later won.

His impressive performances have attracted interest from several clubs, with Fulham touted as a potential destination.

Trabzonspor, however, has adopted an adamant stance. Reports suggest that while the club is reluctant to part ways with the Nigerian international, they would be willing to entertain significant offers in the region of at least €40 million.

Chibuike Nwaiwu Addresses Fulham Links
Amid the ongoing speculation, the Port Harcourt-born defender has finally spoken out. He insists he is focused on fulfilling his contract at Trabzonspor rather than being distracted by transfer rumors.

    "I have an ongoing contract with Trabzonspor, so I need to go back and continue my path with my club," Nwaiwu told Trabz10 TV. "Yes, that is my club, and I am a contracted player there. Whatever happens from now on, happens."

Nwaiwu has four years remaining on his current deal, and that places Trabzonspor in a very strong negotiating position.

However, if he continues to perform at a high level for the Turkish giants, interest from even bigger clubs is inevitable. And eventually he could get his head turned and ask for a transfer.



https://soccernet.ng/2026/06/fulham-transfer-news-chibuike-nwaiwu-epl.html

[WhiteJC]

World Cup 2026: Norway reach knockouts
Norway booked their place in the World Cup Round of 32 after an entertaining 3-2 victory over Senegal in New Jersey on Monday evening.

Sander Berge played the full 90 and was typically composed in front of the back four, as Norway took control of proceedings with goals either side of half-time from Marcus Pederson and Erling Haaland.

Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr quickly reduced the deficit, but another Haaland effort soon restored the two goal advantage.

Oscar Bobb came off the bench in the 84th minute and must have thought he'd made the result safe with a wicked rising strike that had the goalkeeper beaten, only for a defender to make a phenomenal headed clearance off the line.

Sarr ensured a nervy ending with another composed finish in stoppage time, but the Scandinavians held on to book their place in the knockouts.

They would have remained top of Group I on goals scored had they not conceded that late Sarr goal, but they now have a slightly inferior goal difference to France, meaning they will have to win in Friday's tantalising decider in order to progress as group winners.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/june/23/world-cup-2026-norway-reach-knockouts/

[WhiteJC]

New AC Milan boss to use pre-season to decide Chukwueze's fate after Fulham loan
AC Milan's new manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly set to assess Super Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze before making a final decision on the Nigerian's future at the San Siro this summer.

Chukwueze spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Premier League side Fulham, where he enjoyed a decent spell with the Cottagers.

The Nigerian international scored three goals and provided four assists in 23 league appearances, producing several impressive performances during his time at Craven Cottage.

His displays in England have reportedly convinced Fulham to explore the possibility of making his stay permanent ahead of the 2026/27 season.

However, the London club are reluctant to trigger the €24 million purchase option included in the loan agreement and are expected to negotiate a lower fee with the Rossoneri.

According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport, newly appointed Milan manager Ruben Amorim wants to take a closer look at Chukwueze before determining whether he fits into his plans for the upcoming campaign.

The Portuguese tactician is embarking on a new project at the San Siro and is expected to carefully evaluate members of the squad, particularly players returning from loan spells, as he seeks to rebuild the former Serie A champions.

With Milan operating under financial constraints in the transfer market, Amorim could be forced to rely on existing squad members who can adapt to his tactical philosophy rather than sanctioning numerous new signings.

As a result, Chukwueze is expected to be among the players given an opportunity to impress during pre-season.

The former Villarreal winger will be eager to convince Amorim that he deserves a place in the manager's long-term plans and finally establish himself at the club after a mixed spell in Italy.

Adeyemi Adewale



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/new-ac-milan-boss-to-use-pre-season-to-decide-chukwuezes-fate-after-fulham-loan

[F(f)CUK]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c892dk5dnz8o

BBC now reporting that Harry is going to Leeds subject to medical.

[Donnie Lonegan]

If Wilson want to leave Fulham to join Leeds,then he's not someone I want at Fulham.

[Nero]

So for all this tippy tappy football, its go Wimbledon style and win