Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 05/09/23...

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Agent claims blockbuster Bayern Munich deal for Fulham star has been 'postponed' rather than 'killed'
Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha saw a deadline day deal to Bayern Munich fall through, but his brother and agent has insisted the deal has only been postponed.

In the end, Fulham did well to keep hold of the Portuguese international as plenty of top European clubs were said to be interested.

Liverpool had been heavily interested in the player, but they were put off by his reported £90m asking price. A move to Bayern Munich then looked to be on the cards, until the deal collapsed on deadline day.

The 28-year-old flew to Germany to complete a deal with the German champions, but the deal was dependent on Fulham signing a replacement of their own.

As they didn't manage to land any of their targets, the club decided to pull the deal at the last minute. Palhinha will now return to Fulham and spend the upcoming season with Marco Silva's side.

While the Fulham fans will be happy to see Palhinha sticking around, his brother has made an interesting claim on the player's future.

"They didn't kill the dream, they just postponed it," Goncalo Palhinha explained via the Daily Mail. "Very proud of my brother and the player I represent.

"Words of appreciation, recognition and thanks to the entire Bayern structure. The affection for the club in our family will remain forever even though my brother didn't sign."

Fulham will be happy to have Palhinha around
While Palhinha will be expected to leave Fulham eventually, they will have been boosted by keeping him around for the season to come.

Silva lost Aleksandar Mitrovic earlier in the window and to lose Palhinha in the same summer would have been a hammer blow for the Portuguese boss.

As Bayern Munich allowed Ryan Gravenberch to complete his deadline day move to Liverpool, they were keen on signing a midfielder of their own.

Palhinha would have been an excellent pickup for Thomas Tuchel's side and time will tell if they do decide to pursue the player in the future.

The 28-year-old is under contract at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2027 and so the club is in a strong position to dictate his future.

While plenty of pundits have spoken highly of Palhinha, Didi Hamann isn't convinced that the Portuguese international was the right target for Bayern Munich.

"Tuchel has denied the ability of all his sixes and eights. He said he doesn't have a defensive midfielder," Hamann told Sky Sports.

"Now the club is ready to pay 65 million euros for a player from Fulham! Not from Manchester United or Barcelona, ��from Fulham! What is a Kimmich, a Laimer, a Guerreiro, whoever, thinking?

"You need a hierarchy. If you don't have a hierarchy in the team, you have nothing. Should Kimmich say something in the dressing room now: Is anyone else listening? I don't know. That's the biggest problem."



https://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/agent-claims-blockbuster-bayern-munich-deal-fulham-star-palhinha-postponed-killed

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Deadline Day Drama: The Transfer That Wasn't Meant to Be
Palhinha's Dream Transfer: Delayed Not Denied

The Munich Twist: A Tale of Transfers and Tactics
Joao Palhinha was on the brink of a groundbreaking switch to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on the fateful deadline day. The electric atmosphere was palpable, as the Bundesliga champions awaited their new star. But as fate would have it, Fulham made a last-minute recall, unable to find a worthy successor for their midfield maestro suggest reports from Daily Mail.

Returning to Craven Cottage post his international commitments, Palhinha was notably absent from Marco Silva's roster during the overwhelming 5-1 rout by Manchester City.

"They didn't extinguish the dream, merely delayed it," remarked Goncalo Palhinha, the brother-agent duo. He continued, shedding light on the professionalism displayed by Bayern, "We will forever hold a deep-seated affection for the club, even in the absence of a signature."

Such praise from the agent highlights the high esteem and cordial nature of dealings in the football community.

Silva's Challenge Ahead
As Fulham dust themselves off from the bruising at Etihad Stadium, Silva faces the onerous task of ensuring Palhinha's focus remains undeterred by the transfer hiccup.

The recent clash with City was rife with controversy. Nathan Ake's pre-interval header, changing the scoreboard to 2-1 in City's favour, drew flak as VAR failed to flag Manuel Akanji offside, causing an uproar. The live replay on Etihad's giant screens only added fuel to the fire, with Silva, quite visibly vexed, orchestrating the symphony of protests.

Tim Ream, Fulham's hope turned saviour turned critic, ruminated on the team's subsequent dip in vigour. "The momentum shift post half-time was evident. Our aggression dwindled, and we failed to keep City at bay," he expressed, pinpointing the offside debacle as a pivotal moment. "Being in an offside position, watching the ball directed straight at him, Akanji's jump was perplexing. Truly a hard pill to swallow."

In the Wake of Etihad: Reflections and Resolutions
The Fulham camp's sentiments resonate with fans globally: Football, with all its strategy and skill, remains a game of moments. Moments that can redefine the trajectory of a match, a player's career, or even a transfer decision. Palhinha's unfinished story with Bayern Munich stands testament to this beautiful unpredictability.



https://eplindex.com/95965/deadline-day-drama-the-transfer-that-wasnt-meant-to-be.html#google_vignette

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Carlos Vinicius staying at Fulham despite Trabzonspor interest in late transfer swoop
The Cottagers are unwilling to part with another striker after Al-Hilal's summer move for Aleksandar Mitrovic

Fulham striker Carlos Vinicius is expected to stay at Craven Cottage this month despite reported interest from Turkish side Trabzonspor.

The summer transfer window in Turkey does not close until September 15, and it had been claimed that Trabzonspor were close to sealing the signing of the Brazilian on loan.

However, Vinicius is set to stay at Fulham this season as one of just two senior out-and-out strikers in Marco Silva's first-team squad, along with new signing Raul Jimenez, who joined from Wolves in July.

Fulham signed the former Tottenham loanee from Benfica on deadline day last summer after his loan spell at Dutch side PSV Eindhoven was cut short.

He played second fiddle to Aleksandar Mitrovic throughout last season, scoring five Premier League goals and stepping up when Mitrovic served his eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh.

Mitrovic has since been sold to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal in a deal worth around £46million, leaving Fulham short on central forward options.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-fc-transfers-carlos-vinicius-trabzonspor-b1104640.html

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Club now plan to sign £13m player in January after Tottenham failed to get him
AS Monaco are now planning an attempt to try and sign Tottenham Hotspur target Tosin Adarabioyo in the January transfer window.

That's according to Fabrizio Romano who shared the update on X.

Romano said that Monaco had pushed very hard to sign Adarabioyo in the summer.

However, He revealed that a £13m deal was called off owing to Fulham failing to find a replacement.

Romano did confirm that Monaco still want Tosin moving forwards, though.

Romano said: "Understand AS Monaco plan to try again for Tosin Adarabioyo in January after pushing hard to sign him.

"Monaco offered €12m plus €3m add ons on Deadline Day, deal off due to Fulham failing to find replacement — same case as Palhinha & Bayern.

"Monaco still want Tosin for 2024."

Tottenham were reportedly very interested in bringing Adarabioyo to the club this summer.

However, reports suggested that Tottenham will have needed to offload either Eric Dier or Davinson Sanchez in order to do so.

And with both remaining put, it might be a situation Spurs revisit in January as well.

Monaco will push to sign Tottenham target Adarabioyo in January
Of course, interest is being hastened in Adarabioyo owing to his contract now having less than a year left.

And at 25-years-old, Adarabioyo would be an excellent signing for a lot of top clubs on a free contract – should his situation get that far.

Adarabioyo reportedly won't be signing an extension with Fulham after talks broke down.

Therefore foreign clubs will be able to sign a pre-contract with Adarabioyo in January – a luxury Spurs won't be afforded.

It remains to be seen if Tottenham will try to challenge Monaco to sign Adarabioyo in January, but you'd imagine they will again target a centre-back in the near future.

Ange Postecoglou's project has enjoyed an exciting start but the squad do now look slightly light in their choices past Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.



https://tbrfootball.com/still-want-club-now-plan-to-sign-13m-player-in-january-after-tottenham-failed-to-get-him-romano/

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AS Monaco eyeing January move for Tosin Adarabioyo
French giants AS Monaco are expected to push for the services of 25-year-old Fulham star Tosin Adarabioyo in January.

According to Fabrizio Romano, AS Monaco are still keen on having Tosin Adarabioyo in their ranks. The Ligue 1 giants wanted to sign the 25-year-old centre-back in the recently-concluded transfer window. But, they could not strike a deal with Fulham.

AS Monaco want to bolster their defence, and their search for a new centre-back continues. All throughout the summer transfer window, they were after the signatures of Tosin Adarabioyo. They even submitted an offer worth €12 million plus €3 million in add-ons.

But, the deal collapsed because the Cottagers could not secure a replacement. Similar was the situation of Joao Palhinha. The Portuguese international was close to joining Bayern Munich. He even completed his medical with the German giants, but the move did not go through because Fulham failed to sign a replacement in time.

Despite their efforts, Monaco failed to sign Adarabioyo. But, they still retain their interest in the former England youth international. And, the Ligue 1 giants are expected to push again for his services in the January transfer window.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old centre-back's contract runs out in the summer of 2024. Adarabioyo has no intentions of extending his stay at the club and he won't be penning a new deal. As a result, Fulham do not really have many options to work with.

The Cottagers do not want to lose out on him for free next summer, and they are ready to negotiate his departure. Monaco were very close to securing his signatures in the summer and if there are no major changes, they are expected to get a deal over the line in the winter transfer window.

Adarabioyo came through the ranks at Manchester City. He might have failed to break into their first team but the 25-year-old did manage to establish himself as a first-team regular at Fulham after joining them in October 2020.

The former England youth international has featured in over 100 matches for Fulham. But, of late, things have not been going according to plan and the 25-year-old is keen on parting ways with the English club.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2023/09/04/as-monaco-eyeing-january-move-for-tosin-adarabioyo/

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Fulham skipper left reeling from Manchester City's controversial 'offside' goal
Tim Ream has given his reaction to Fulham's 5-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday – with the American centre-back saying the hosts' crucial second goal just before half-time was "a clear offside".

VAR did review the incident but deemed that Manuel Akanji was not interfering with play, despite the centre-back jumping over the ball before it went past Whites keeper Bernd Leno.

Even City's Erling Haaland, who ended up scoring a hat-trick against the west Londoners, admitted they had been harshly treated.

"It was offside," Haaland told beIN SPORTS. "I feel bad for them – I would be fuming after this as well. It must be a horrible feeling."

Ream had levelled up the Premier League match, scoring at the back post after a corner was initially met by Raul Jimenez.

"It's a clear offside," Ream told FFCtv. "It's a tough one to understand (why it was not disallowed).

"You then go in at half-time down 2-1 and deflated, because we felt we played very well in the first half. We felt like we were in the game.

"We weren't quite at it second half. We weren't as aggressive or as neat and tidy on the ball. When you're not as aggressive against a team like that – getting in their faces – the game can get away from you. That's what we saw today (Saturday).

"My goal was not even a consolation. I'd give that up to come away with a result, any day of the week."



https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/fulham-skipper-left-reeling-from-manchester-citys-controversial-offside-goal/

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Sources: Man United only signed Amrabat after being priced out of Fulham deal
Man United were very keen to land Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha in the summer window, sources have told Football Insider.

A well-placed source has told Football Insider that the 28-year-old was the "number one defensive midfield target" for the Red Devils.

However, the Old Trafford club were eventually forced to turn their full attention to a move for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.

It is believed Man United did not have the budget to pursue a move for Palhinha, with Fulham setting his asking price at £90million following Declan Rice's big-money move to Arsenal earlier in the window.

Amrabat's arrival was confirmed on deadline day last week (1 September), with the Morocco international joining on a loan basis.

According to Sky Sports (2 September), Man United will pay an £8.5million loan fee for the 27-year-old and have the option to make the transfer permanent for £21.4million.

Meanwhile, Palhinha saw a move to German giants Bayern Munich fall through at the eleventh hour – meaning he will remain a Fulham player until January at least.

The Portugal international has featured for Fulham this season but missed their loss against Man City on Saturday (2 September) following the collapse.

Ex-Sporting CP star Palhinha played 40 games across all competitions as Marco Silva's side secured a 10th-placed finish in the Premier League last season.

Amrabat, who starred for Morocco at the World Cup in Qatar last year (2022), made 49 appearances across all competitions for Europa Conference League finalists Fiorentina last season.

Man United's midfield has been highlighted by fans and pundits alike as a cause for concern after their opening four games of the season.

Erik ten Hag's side have picked up six points from a possible 12 and face Brighton after the international break (16 September).



https://www.footballinsider247.com/sources-man-united-only-signed-amrabat-after-being-priced-out-of-fulham-deal/

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Why Man City's crucial second goal vs Fulham should have been overturned
Fulham manager Marco Silva was furious with the decision to allow Nathan Ake's header for Manchester City to stand in first half stoppage time

VAR has been slammed as 'really poor' by a former Premier League referee after Nathan Ake's Manchester City goal against Fulham stood on Saturday.

City had taken the lead through Julian Alvarez but were pegged back by two minutes later through Tim Ream. The two teams looked to be heading into the break level until Ake powered home a header.

Immediately, Fulham's players and staff were furious with the officials as Manuel Akanji appeared to be blocking the sight of goalkeeper Bernd Leno from an offside position. After review, the decision was made to award the goal to City and from there they did not look back.

A second half Erling Haaland hat-trick won the match for City as they kept their 100 per cent start to the season. However, on Sky Sports' Ref Watch, Dermot Gallagher criticised the officiating at the Etihad Stadium.

He explained: "I was actually watching this game live and the minute it went in I turned to the guy next to me and said: 'This could be given as offside'. I saw one replay from behind the goal and I didn't have to see any more.

"He [Akanji] is offside twice as you can see from the replay behind the goal, he is clearly in front of the goalkeeper, he clearly goes to play the ball. It is just a really poor decision by the VAR.

"I feel for the referee and I feel for the assistants because if you look at it, Michael Oliver is on the edge of the box, he has got a lot of players in between him [and Akanji] and he cannot be 100 per cent sure. If you look at the assistant, he can tell he is in an offside position which isn't an offence in of itself but he does not know the distance between him [Akanji] and the goalkeeper.

"You see that angle from behind the goal and it is so obvious."



https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/manchester-city-fulham-var-ake-27648687

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Club's honorary president reacts to failed Fulham deal – 'Used to laugh' about transfer deadline day
One of the more dramatic moments of transfer deadline day was the failed transfer of Joao Palhinha from Fulham to Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga side appeared to have secured the services of the Portuguese midfielder, who had already travelled to Germany to make sure he was in place to sign his contract, but a failure from the Craven Cottage side to send the documents in time for the 6pm deadline caused it to collapse.

Following their inability to secure the Fulham midfielder's signing, honorary Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeneß made it clear he didn't want to see the club face a similar situation in the future when speaking to Süddeutsche Zeitung, relayed by Kicker.

He said: "Apart from exceptional cases, in the future, we should no longer be in the middle of the action on the last transfer day. We used to laugh about this deadline day."

Hoeneß also stated he would prefer to see Bayern having completed their transfers by August 1st at the latest.

He also joked he didn't want to hear the word 'transfer' until December 1st, when they could then start thinking about the January transfer window.

As for Palhinha, he has now returned to London to rejoin the Fulham squad, although whether he will return immediately into Marco Silva's plans remains to be seen.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/clubs-honorary-president-reacts-failed-fulham-deal-used-laugh-transfer-deadline-day/

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Fulham 'expected' to make transfer decision as 25-year-old attracts interest
Latest Fulham transfer news and rumours as they head into the international break

Fulham were beaten 5-1 away at Manchester City over the weekend in the Premier League. The Whites are back in action after the international break at home to newly promoted Luton Town on Saturday 16th September.

Marco Silva's side have picked up four points from their first four games of the new season. Here is a look at some of the latest news and rumours coming out of the club...

Striker update
Fulham are 'expected' to keep hold of striker Carlos Vinicius despite interest from Trabzonspor with the Turkish window still open, as reported by the Evening Standard. The Cottagers are planning to retain the services of the former Tottenham Hotspur man until January at least due to the lack of attacking options that they currently have.

Vinicius, who is 28-years-old, made the switch to Craven Cottage last year and made 32 appearances in all competitions last term, chipping in with five goals. He played for Spurs in the 2020/21 campaign and chipped in with 10 goals in 22 outings altogether during his time in North London.

Defender wanted
Tosin Adarabioyo remains on the radar of AS Monaco despite their failed attempts to land him last week. That's according to reporter Fabrizio Romano, who claims the French outfit still want to sign the centre-back this winter to bolster their defensive department.

The defender joined Fulham back in 2020 from Manchester City after he had loan spells away from the Etihad Stadium at West Brom and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship to get some experience under his belt. He has since played 107 matches for his current club and helped them gain promotion to the top flight in his first year. However, his future has since been up in the air and he is wanted in Ligue 1.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-expected-to-make-transfer-decision-as-25-year-old-attracts-interest-4280145

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Fulham reveal squad number for Super Eagles playmaker Iwobi
Fulham have handed the number 22 jersey to their deadline day signing, Alex Iwobi, the Cottagers officially informed on Monday.

The Super Eagles playmaker ended his association with Everton after putting pen to paper on a five-year contract with Fulham, until June 30, 2028.

As exclusively reported by allnigeriasoccer.com, the Toffees canceled their agreement with Iwobi approximately a year before its expiration in exchange for £22 million.

The 27-year-old is the second most expensive acquisition in Fulham's history, behind Jean Michaël Seri who joined from OGC Nice for a fee of €30m in July 2018.

The number 17 shirt he wore at Arsenal and Everton is not vacant as it has been assigned to his former teammate at Arsenal, Bernd Leno since his transfer to Craven Cottage in 2022-2023.

Fulham's previous number 22s include Paulo Gazzaniga, Cyrus Christie, Yohan Mollo, Chris Baird, Elsad Zverotic, Csaba Somogyi and Eidur Gudjohnsen.

The shirt has also been worn by Nigerian fullback Elliot Omozusi, Fredrik Stoor Siekkinen, Nathan Ashton, Wayne Routledge, Dean Leacock, Luís Boa Morte and Steve McAnespie.

https://twitter.com/FulhamFC/status/1698655899081228634

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=48702

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Buckingham sinks into administration with nearly 500 jobs lost
Anfield stand builder had been on brink since last month

Buckingham collapsed into administration this evening with nearly 450 jobs lost straight away from the divisions administrators couldn't sell.

Grant Thornton was appointed administrator earlier today and immediately axed 446 jobs from its building, civils, major projects, sport and leisure and demolition businesses.

Earlier, Kier saved 180 jobs with a deal to buy the firm's £150m-plus turnover rail business, which includes its work for Network Rail and HS2, for £9.6m.

Grant Thornton said 45 people from Buckingham's head office near Silverstone would remain on the books for "a short period" to help complete the sale of the rail business to Kier.

But joint administrator Rob Parker added: "It is with regret, that despite the best efforts of the directors and the Company's advisers, a sale of the Company's remaining divisions (Building, Civil Engineering, Demolition, Major Projects and Sport & Leisure) was not possible. As a result 446 employees from these divisions together with some other central roles at the Company have been made redundant following the Company entering administration."

The collapse of Buckingham, which was set up in 1987, leaves a number of high-profile jobs in limbo include its scheme to build new stands at Liverpool's Anfield ground and its deal to build the new Riverside stand at Fulham's Craven Cottage stadium.

The Anfield job has already been delayed until October after it was originally supposed to have been finished in time for the start of the new Premier League season last month.

And the job at Fulham was meant to have been ready in time for the start of the 2021/22 season but last month the Cottagers admitted fit-out work on bars and restaurants at the stand would not be completed until next year.

Buckingham's chairman Mike Kempley said "many other businesses are now engaging with the remaining 500 or so Buckingham employees" to help them find jobs.

But he admitted: ''After 36 years of uninterrupted trading, this is an extremely sad day for all the exceptionally committed and talented people who have made Buckingham Group Contracting the business it is. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the client and supply chain businesses who have supported the Company over many years.''

The implosion is the biggest in contracting since the collapse of Carillion at the start of 2018.

Buckingham has been on the brink of folding since last month when it said it intended to appoint an administrator after racking up "deep losses and interim cash deficits on the three major stadium and arena contracts, and a substantial earthworks contract in Coventry".

Though not named, the stadium jobs are believed to be the new stands at Liverpool and Fulham while the firm is still carrying out work on a multi-storey car park opposite Swansea Arena. The arena was completed by Buckingham for the city council last year but the car park is running months behind schedule after the paint, which coats the steel on the structure of the car park, needed to be removed and reapplied.

At the time it flagged its note to appoint an administrator, Buckingham said it was looking to "explore a sale of all or part of the business in a very short period" – which it said on 17 August would be within days or weeks – "to preserve as much of the business as possible".

Grant Thornton said it had been trying to get a refinancing deal over the line for the past few months but added: "The legacy issues faced by the Company and ongoing losses were simply too great to enable the refinance to succeed in an acceptable timescale."

In its last set of accounts, for the year to December 2021, Buckingham's turnover went up 14% to £665m but the firm racked up a £10.7m pre-tax loss with the firm blaming a bust subcontractor and a client that kept changing its mind on a stadium contract, widely believed to be its scheme at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground, sending it to only its second annual pre-tax loss since being set up. The firm had been predicting income this year of around £700m.



https://www.building.co.uk/news/buckingham-sinks-into-administration-with-nearly-500-jobs-lost/5124968.article

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Likely 'finer details' of Alex Iwobi Everton exit shared in 'cold, hard cash' verdict
Everton had a "fair chunk" of the £22million sale of Alex Iwobi paid up front, according to the Liverpool Echo's Dave Powell.

The midfielder has joined Premier League rivals Fulham on a five-year deal, as per their official club website (2 September).

Nigerian international Iwobi made a total of 140 appearances for the Toffees following his move from Arsenal in 2019.

The 27-year-old has previously played under Fulham boss Marco Silva, who signed the player for Everton from the Gunners.

"The finer details of the Iwobi deal are not known, but given its lateness it is likely that Everton had the necessary leverage to get a fair chunk paid up early so as to realise some cold, hard cash," Powell wrote for the Liverpool Echo.

Financial boost welcome
Iwobi's sale is a welcome financial boost for the Premier League club, who have had a difficult time in this area in recent years.

Their financial struggles look set to continue for the foreseeable future, but at least they have balanced the books a little following Iwob's exit.

And given how the midfielder was in the final year of his contract at Goodison Park, a £22million fee represents superb business from the Merseyside club.

That is not something that has been said of Everton in recent transfer windows, but it is certainly true in this case, with the club having been in the dangerous position of losing the Nigerian for nothing next summer.

With nine goals and 16 assists in blue, the versatile midfielder may not have had the best output in the final third, but his exit will still be a blow to manager Sean Dyche in light of the tricky season ahead.



https://www.goodisonnews.com/2023/09/04/likely-finer-details-of-alex-iwobi-everton-exit-shared-in-cold-hard-cash-verdict/

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United States veteran Tim Ream says age no concern
Fulham and United States defender Tim Ream said he's "not really thinking about age" as he's embarks on his 16th season in professional soccer.

Ream, 35, is in his hometown of St. Louis preparing for the U.S. team's friendly match against Uzbekistan on Sept. 9, which will be followed by a second friendly against Oman in St. Paul, Minnesota, four days later.

Despite excelling for the U.S. at the 2022 World Cup, it wouldn't have been a surprise to see the U.S. turn to other, younger defenders, but Ream is determined to continue to be a contributor for his country.

"I'm just kind of playing and living in the moment, just enjoying doing what I'm doing. I'm not, I'm not really thinking about age," Ream told reporters on a conference call Monday. "I set goals for myself every season. I set longer term goals to try to get to another World Cup, try to be able to play in a Copa America next summer.

"I just think being able to enjoy what you're doing. As you get older most people's bodies start give out. Their mind starts to wander. And for me, I'm just trying to enjoy everything, try to take it all in, and do as much and play as much as I possibly can."

Ream's renaissance -- he was a bit of a surprise inclusion on the team that reached the round of 16 in Qatar -- has proved to be an inspiration for young players and veterans alike.

"Obviously, everybody knows Tim is a really important player to this team and to this program," said U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner. "To perform at the level that he's performing, week in and week out, over the last few years, to be away from the national team and then come back...the resiliency that he shows, but also, he just exudes this like, calmness even just the way he speaks.

"On the pitch for me, it's really helpful. Off the pitch, it's really helpful. If I can have half the career that this guy has had, I'll consider it'll be very successful."

Turner is making the most of his move to Nottingham Forest, winning the starting goalkeeper spot after spending a solitary season with Arsenal as the backup to England international Aaron Ramsdale.

The U.S. No. 1 earned his first clean sheet in last weekend's 1-0 win over Chelsea.

"I think it's easy to get into the mode where you're comfortable not competing and just collecting your paycheck and showing up for work," Turner said. "I think the reason I fell in love with the game was that competition element of it all. So then speaking of competition, anywhere you play in the Premier League, it's, it's the best league in the world, you're gonna have competition for spots.

"If we want to be the club that we want to be going forward, you're going to have to have competition all over the pitch for every day in training, just to combat complacency and everything. So I'm looking forward to challenges. I'm looking forward to fighting and ultimately want to play as many games as possible and keep that feeling going of competing on the pitch."



https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/38328901/united-states-veteran-tim-ream-age-no-concern

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Manchester United wanted to sign Joao Palhinha instead of Sofyan Amrabat
Manchester United reportedly wanted to sign Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha earlier but ended up with Sofyan Amrabat on deadline day.

According to Football Insider, Manchester United identified Joao Palhinha as their primary midfield target earlier in the summer. The 28-year-old Premier League star's huge asking price may have pushed the Red Devils away from pursuing, as they signed Sofyan Amrabat on deadline day.

Manchester United's need for a new defensive midfielder became apparent at the start of the window. Instead, Erik ten Hag spent the entirety of the window pursuing players in other positions and did bring in some notable names to shore up his squad.

Mason Mount arrived from Chelsea, followed by Andre Onana and a much-needed striker in Rasmus Hojlund. They went into another gear around the last few days of the window after Luke Shaw's injury, which pushed them to agree a loan move for Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham.

Lastly, goalkeeper Altay Bayindir arrived but still needed a defensive midfielder to strengthen the area. Sofyan Amrabat, a long-term target since probably last January, finally arrived on deadline day, and his arrival was so late Manchester United could not register him for the Arsenal clash.

While the Moroccan arrived and will now fulfil his dream by playing for the club, he wasn't Manchester United's first-choice target. They had an interest in Declan Rice before Arsenal snapped him, but the report reveals that Fulham's Joao Palhinha was also a priority option.

Since the Rice sale, Fulham knew clubs would move for a new defensive midfielder and placed a £90 million price tag on Palhinha. West Ham were keen and backed away due to that asking price. Manchester United decided against pursuing the 28-year-old Premier League star for the same reason.

Palhinha eventually wanted to leave the club as Fulham agreed a fee with Bayern Munich. Unfortunately, the German window closed well before the English one. The Cottagers could not find a viable replacement for the Portuguese star.

Manchester United will have to remain content with their acquisition of Amrabat. The Moroccan will take on the pitch after the international break when the Red Devils host a flying Brighton side at Old Trafford.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2023/09/05/manchester-united-wanted-to-sign-joao-palhinha-instead-of-sofyan-amrabat/

[Stevieboy]

Agent claims blockbuster Bayern Munich deal for Fulham star has been 'postponed' rather than 'killed'
Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha saw a deadline day deal to Bayern Munich fall through, but his brother and agent has insisted the deal has only been postponed.

In the end, Fulham did well to keep hold of the Portuguese international as plenty of top European clubs were said to be interested.

Liverpool had been heavily interested in the player, but they were put off by his reported £90m asking price. A move to Bayern Munich then looked to be on the cards, until the deal collapsed on deadline day.

The 28-year-old flew to Germany to complete a deal with the German champions, but the deal was dependent on Fulham signing a replacement of their own.

As they didn't manage to land any of their targets, the club decided to pull the deal at the last minute. Palhinha will now return to Fulham and spend the upcoming season with Marco Silva's side.

While the Fulham fans will be happy to see Palhinha sticking around, his brother has made an interesting claim on the player's future.

"They didn't kill the dream, they just postponed it," Goncalo Palhinha explained via the Daily Mail. "Very proud of my brother and the player I represent.

"Words of appreciation, recognition and thanks to the entire Bayern structure. The affection for the club in our family will remain forever even though my brother didn't sign."

Fulham will be happy to have Palhinha around
While Palhinha will be expected to leave Fulham eventually, they will have been boosted by keeping him around for the season to come.

Silva lost Aleksandar Mitrovic earlier in the window and to lose Palhinha in the same summer would have been a hammer blow for the Portuguese boss.

As Bayern Munich allowed Ryan Gravenberch to complete his deadline day move to Liverpool, they were keen on signing a midfielder of their own.

Palhinha would have been an excellent pickup for Thomas Tuchel's side and time will tell if they do decide to pursue the player in the future.

The 28-year-old is under contract at Craven Cottage until the summer of 2027 and so the club is in a strong position to dictate his future.

While plenty of pundits have spoken highly of Palhinha, Didi Hamann isn't convinced that the Portuguese international was the right target for Bayern Munich.

"Tuchel has denied the ability of all his sixes and eights. He said he doesn't have a defensive midfielder," Hamann told Sky Sports.

"Now the club is ready to pay 65 million euros for a player from Fulham! Not from Manchester United or Barcelona, ��from Fulham! What is a Kimmich, a Laimer, a Guerreiro, whoever, thinking?

"You need a hierarchy. If you don't have a hierarchy in the team, you have nothing. Should Kimmich say something in the dressing room now: Is anyone else listening? I don't know. That's the biggest problem."



https://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/agent-claims-blockbuster-bayern-munich-deal-fulham-star-palhinha-postponed-killed

Unless they spot someone better and cheaper...