Thursday Fulham Stuff - 18/06/26...

[WhiteJC]

Crystal Palace, Fulham make contact to sign Arnau Martinez
Crystal Palace and Fulham are seemingly chasing a market opportunity with the ready availability of Girona defender Arnau Martinez

Crystal Palace and Fulham are chasing Spanish defender Arnau Martinez, 23, from relegated Girona this summer, per Sports Boom. The English sides view the player's availability and modest €8 million release clause as a market opportunity, positioning Martinez as an attractive target ahead of the transfer window.

Premier League teams often chase bargain deals, and both clubs see the Spanish versatile defender as valuable. Martinez has been a consistent presence for Girona last season before their relegation at the end of the term. His contract runs until 2027, and with Premier League interest now emerging, Girona are unlikely to retain him.

Competing for Martinez
Fulham and Crystal Palace are competing for Martinez's signature. The two London clubs are pursuing personal-terms agreement with the player before opening formal negotiations with Girona, as they may discuss structuring a deal rather than triggering the full release clause in one lump sum.

Martinez was of interest to Palace last summer, but the deal did not materialise. Arsenal were also keen at that time, signalling his profile in the market. Heading into this summer window, he could be leaving Girona, as both London clubs view him as a potential replacement for departing or uncertain players.

For Palace, the story cites uncertain future of Maxence Lacroix, with top teams reportedly interested in the Frenchman. Fulham view him as a potential replacement for Manchester United-linked Antonee Robinson, though Martinez's preferred position on the right does not make him a direct successor to the USMNT full-back.

is Arnau martinez suitable to Palace or Fulham?
Martinez played 35 matches for Girona last season, scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists. While he spent most of his time at right-back, he also featured in defensive midfield and at left-back, making him a versatile asset.

Palace plays with a back three and could see him as Lacroix's central-defence replacement. Fulham may view him as a right-back competitor amid Kenny Tete's injury issues last season.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/06/17/crystal-palace-fulham-make-contact-to-sign-arnau-martinez/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham interested in Wagner Pina and Chibuike Nwaiwu
Fulham will look to sign Wagner Pina and Chibuike Nwaiwu from Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor in the summer transfer window.

According to a report by Turkish outlet Milliyet, Wagner Pina is the subject of interest from Fulham. The Cottagers are keen on reinforcing their defensive unit by signing a centre-back and a right-back ahead of the 2026/27 season, and they have set their sights on the Trabzonspor duo.

The report by Milliyet has revealed that the Claret-Blues have already rejected a proposal for Pina, with Fulham offering €10 million to secure his services. Meanwhile, they are also preparing a bid to sign Nwaiwu, and it will be worth more than €10 million.

How has Wagner Pina and Chibuike Nwaiwu fared at Trabzonspor?
Wagner Pina and Chibuike Nwaiwu have established themselves as pivotal figures since joining Trabzonspor. Pina, a Portuguese-born right-back, spent his formative years in the country of his birth and graduated from the youth division at CD Tondela. However, the 23-year-old has risen in prominence during his stint in Turkiye, having accumulated over 3,000 minutes of game time this past season.

On the other hand, Nwaiwu spent his formative years in Nigeria before moving to Europe in 2024. After spending 18 months in Austria, the 22-year-old joined Trabzonspor earlier this year and immediately became a pivotal figure for the Turkish Super Lig club, making 21 appearances while chipping in with three goals. Meanwhile, Pina and Nwaiwu's progress has stimulated the interest of several well-known clubs, including Fulham.

London calling?
Fulham's interest in Wagner Pina and Chibuike Nwaiwu is understandable. While the Cottagers have a solid defensive unit, recent reports have linked a few players with a summer departure. They are worried about Jorge Cuenca's future, in particular, with Benfica recently joining the race to sign him.

So, Fulham must pursue a centre-back, and they have set their sights on several candidates, including Mariano Troilo. As for the right-back berth, Timothy Castagne has turned 30, prompting the West London club to seek an alternate solution from the market.

Several right-backs, including Arnau Martinez, have thus emerged on Fulham's wishlist, with Pina also a viable target. However, a summer move for the Trabzonspor defensive duo may be a tall order, as the Turkish Super Lig giants have no intention of accepting bids for them.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/06/17/fulham-interested-in-wagner-pina-and-chibuike-nwaiwu/

[WhiteJC]

Crystal Palace and Fulham now in direct contact to sign La Liga star
Crystal Palace and Fulham are now set to reignite their rivalry away from the pitch in the race to sign an impressive defender this summer.

Sage "excited" by Crystal Palace move
Whilst the rest of the world have been laser focused on the 2026 World Cup, those in South London have been busy hiring their replacement for Oliver Glasner, with Pierre Sage now sealed and delivered.

The former Lens manager pushed Paris Saint-Germain all the way in Ligue 1 last season and is now looking to pick up where Glasner left off at Selhurst Park.

"It's amazing to be here at Crystal Palace. I am excited by the history of the club, and by recent seasons. Oliver Glasner achieved some amazing things, and now I have to do the same. That's why we come here with a lot of ambition.

"The dynamic here is really positive, and we are in this mindset too. We won last year – and we want to continue in this way, in a new club, a new project, but with a lot of winning habits." - Pierre Sage

The new manager has got near-impossible footsteps to follow, but the transfer market should certainly help ease any concerns about an adjustment period.

On that front, the Eagles have already set their sights on a defensive addition, who would be an excellent first signing for Sage ahead of his first season in charge.

Crystal Palace battling Fulham to sign defender
According to SportsBoom, Crystal Palace and Fulham have made direct contact to sign Arnau Martinez from Girona this summer. The Premier League duo are in pole position ahead of the likes of Ajax, with Fulham looking to get one over on their London rivals and deny Sage his first reinforcement.

It's easy to see why there's interest in Martinez. The right-back, who can also play centre-back, is still just 23 years old and full of potential. Now that Daniel Munoz is 30 and likely out of a back five system, Palace could turn to Martinez and add direct competition for their current star.

According to SportsBoom, Crystal Palace and Fulham have made direct contact to sign Arnau Martinez from Girona this summer. The Premier League duo are in pole position ahead of the likes of Ajax, with Fulham looking to get one over on their London rivals and deny Sage his first reinforcement.

Fulham are facing a similar scenario. With Alvaro Arbeloa on his way, the Cottagers are also looking to deliver their new manager's first signing - sparking quite a race.

Both clubs have already received a major boost by rumours that Martinez has green-lit the chance to leave Girona this summer, with his current deal set to expire next year. Just who takes full advantage of that is the big question.



https://www.footballfancast.com/crystal-palace-fulham-now-in-direct-contact-to-sign-arnau-martinez/

[WhiteJC]

Dennis Turner: an unsung Fulham legend
From supporter to club director via programme editor, one man's unique Fulham journey.



Dennis Turner's name may be familiar to relatively few – but those who encountered him in person know how important he was in Fulham's off-field history. Indeed, he was the club's historian, writing two definitive and many smaller books on them by the time of his death in 2014. He also edited the matchday programme for many years, never taking a salary yet producing a publication that was not only packed with authoritative reading but also made the club money when that was in short supply.

Born in 1946, Dennis attended his first Fulham game in October 1952. He rose from supporter status to become a director in April 2009, serving for just over four years prior to the Khan family takeover. He was very much involved with the club in the turbulent period when chairman Ernie Clay sold up and it seemed Fulham Park Rangers would be the result and the Cottage would be lost.

I was recruited to the programme team in 1983 to write a column on Fulham's celebrity fans. Dennis, Chief Economist for the HSBC (formerly Midland) Bank in 'real life', was also a music devotee, and had enthusiastically taken up my idea.

At the end of the season he reverted to banking type and showed the team of volunteer writers a document called a spreadsheet (who knew?) illustrating the money we had helped generate. Probably enough to buy a lower-division left-back!

Things were both different and more difficult in the pre-internet age when it came to assembling a match programme. Dennis organised a team of motorcycle messengers in conjunction with programme printers Ward and Woolverton to collect typewritten (or even handwritten) articles from his writers and deliver them to the typesetters: no internet and very few personal computers in the 1980s! Then he would check the proofs when they came back by bike, and the printed programmes were always there at the Cottage come Saturday morning. Delivered on a wing and a prayer – or in Dennis' case, cigarettes and a steady stream of black coffee.

As contributor Chris Mason, who initially wrote the opposition 'pen pic' biographies, now fondly recalls, "The club itself had very little to do with the programme, other than selling a bit of advertising space – a very little bit of advertising space, as the programme had a limited number of pages and Dennis insisted it had as much purely FFC-related information as possible.

"Not only did Dennis edit the programme and write the 'Inside the Cottage' column but he also acted as its accountant. We contributors were all unpaid but Dennis saw to it that the programme (no pretentious-sounding Matchday Magazine) always made a profit for the club. Not a lot by today's standards, perhaps, but a profit nonetheless – and all the more remarkable as most home games attracted no more than a few thousand people, about 75% of whom were more than happy to fork out less than a pound for something worth reading."

Turner's aim was indeed purely to help the club – so much so that he resisted having colour photos in the programme because black and white was cheaper to reproduce. And, in the opinion of many, more dramatic. (Fellow Fulham legend Ken Coton was, needless to say, the man behind the lens.) He stepped back from editing the programme for a year, letting Chris Mason take over, but regained the reins after a season. Fulham was an addiction for Dennis, and he couldn't keep away.

He marshalled his programme team astutely, and many well known names passed through the ranks. As well as Alex White, the current club historian and Dennis' sidekick on the statistics side, there was Alex Ferguson (The Traveller) and Jim Sims (Lilywhite) majoring on awaydays and former players. David Lloyd went on from his programme stint to found the TOOFIF fanzine, a phenomenal publication published over many years.

But, like Hotel California, not everybody was allowed to leave, as contributor Paul Hooper explains. "After five seasons on the programme I phoned Dennis one evening during the close season to submit my resignation. After a pause, he said: 'Let me explain to you, Paul, how these things work; if you tender your resignation it doesn't take action until I actually accept it.' Another pause. 'And I don't accept it.'"

Dennis (with Alex White) wrote the first definitive history book on Fulham called Fulham: A Complete Record 1879-1987, following it up with Fulham Facts And Figures 1879-1998. When players had testimonials to fund their life after retirement he was invariably brought in to assist: among the results were benefit-match programmes for Simon Morgan, Gordon Davies and Glenn Cockerill.

DMT, as I always think of him, had started his working life in the late 1960s as an economist for a trade union, moving on to work for the government in Whitehall encouraging economic development and finally the world of banking and high finance. He retired from HSBC in 2011, but enjoyed less than three years of retirement.

After his passing, 1980s striker Gordon Davies referred to him as "A true Fulham legend who never even wore the shirt," while Les Strong, a 1970s stalwart, said "If anyone was synonymous with Fulham through the decades I'd say that man was Dennis – a true Fulham man through and through." For long-time matchday announcer David Hamilton, he was "quite simply irreplaceable." It's clearly right, proper and Fulhamish to celebrate such an influential and unique character who left his mark on Fulham Football Club in so many ways.

Today's programme, as Chris Mason reflects, is an altogether different beast to a Turner production. "Glossy it may be. Larger it certainly is. But what of the content? An amalgam of trite populist nonsense, full of advertisements, photos of players needing a shave and brightly coloured silliness. It is presumably designed to appeal to younger supporters, provided their mums and dads can afford the inflated price after they have forked out for match tickets and ludicrously expensive replica shirts.

"Together with his helpers, Dennis produced a well-written, informative and often amusing publication which, in the world of football, was universally admired. I have a feeling he would intensely dislike the current programme because it no longer has what it always did have under his leadership. Integrity, and – above all – heart."



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/dennis-turner-an-unsung-fulham-legend

[WhiteJC]

Fulham preparing offer of over N16b for Super Eagles central defender
Premier League club Fulham are preparing an offer worth more than €10 million (approximately N16 billion in Nigerian currency) for Super Eagles centre-back Chibuike Nwaiwu, according to Turkish newspaper Milliyet.Nigerian player transfers

Nwaiwu played a key role in Trabzonspor's defence last season, helping the club with his performances at the back while also making an impact in attack.

The 22-year-old defender scored three headed goals in sixteen Turkish Super Lig appearances.

Fulham have identified Nwaiwu as a potential addition to their squad and are ready to test Trabzonspor's resolve with an offer exceeding €10 million.

The Nigerian defender joined Trabzonspor from Austrian club Wolfsberger during the mid-season transfer window, with the Turkish side paying a reported €5.5 million transfer fee for his services.

However, Trabzonspor have reportedly valued Nwaiwu at more than 35 million euros, with the defender having a valid contract with the club until June 30, 2030.

On the international stage, Nwaiwu impressed during this summer's Unity Cup, helping rookie international goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo post two clean sheets in back-to-back wins against Zimbabwe and Jamaica.
Fulham are also working on a deal to sign Nwaiwu's defensive partner, Wagner Pina, a member of the Cabo Verde squad competing at the ongoing World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/fulham-preparing-offer-of-over-n16b-for-super-eagles-central-defender

[WhiteJC]

Next Fulham manager: Tony Khan reveals two leading candidates with former Real Madrid boss linked
Khan says two names in particular are standing out to the board as the search for Silva's replacement continues

Fulham vice chairman and director of football operations Tony Khan has revealed that there are two leading candidates for the club's vacant managerial role.

Fulham have been on the hunt for a new manager since Marco Silva decided to leave the club upon the expiry of his contract at the start of June.

In that time, several names have been linked with the job, including former Real Madrid interim boss Alvaro Arbeloa.

Reports had suggested that Arbeloa was closing in on taking over at Craven Cottage, but Khan says there are still a number of candidates in contention, with two names particularly standing out to the board.

Speaking to the club's in-house media, Khan said the board had met several times with the two leading candidates, while admitting that Silva's departure came as a surprise.

"We have to bring in a new coach, it's something we're working on & we've been actively talking & working to find someone to come in. The expectation here for a while was that Marco was going to stay," Khan said.

"There's been a lot of names mentioned in the press & it's interesting because it's going very well & there's been a few great conversations in particular. We've got a few people the board is talking to that are very exciting & interesting candidates.

"I have seen a lot of the press. There's been people who we've been linked to where it says they were the frontrunner or that there was conversations, that were people we've never talked to or never even had a conversation about.

"At the same time, we have had lots of conversations, meetings. We've been actively talking. Now, there's agents we've communicated with, we knew the availability of people, people have expressed interest.

"In particular, there are two candidates that have met with the board several times & we have a few candidates that we've had good conversations with."

Khan did not confirm or deny whether Arbeloa was among the leading candidates for the role, but said that any protracted transfer plans would come after the club had finalised a managerial appointment.

"In terms of the team, we absolutely have a lot of work to do. I think it's very important to make the hire for who's going to be the head coach before we figure out who comes in for potential transfers.

"At the same time, it's important to talk with these candidates about their expectations & what we think of the squad, & what they think of the squad & then take their feedback & ideas & then incorporate that into the window."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/next-fulham-manager-khan-arbeloa-b1286490.html

[WhiteJC]

Fulham weren't the only club told no – Marco Silva chose Benfica over other offer
Former Fulham manager Marco Silva turned down not one but two significantly more lucrative opportunities before accepting Benfica's offer, according to fresh claims emerging from Portugal.

Silva's departure from Craven Cottage opened this summer's chapter of managerial drama, with the Portuguese coach repeatedly insisting money was not the deciding factor behind his move back home.

But new comments from Saudi Arabia now appear to support that claim.

Al Nassr confirm Silva was top target
The story relayed by Record in Portugal comes from Saad Al-Subaie, the former legal director of Al Nassr, who has revealed the Benfica manager was the Saudi club's preferred candidate to replace Jorge Jesus.

Speaking via social media, Al-Subaie claimed Silva was not simply one name on a shortlist.

"The first and strongest option was Marco Silva, but in the final moments he decided his destination and signed with Benfica."

Throughout the lengthy Benfica negotiations, most attention focused on Silva's decision to walk away from Fulham's renewal offer. Now there is confirmation from the Saudi side that Al Nassr were also pushing hard to secure his signature.

According to the former executive, Silva remained the leading candidate until very late in the process before ultimately choosing Benfica.

More money available elsewhere
Portuguese newspaper O Jogo place particular emphasis on the financial aspect of the decision.

The newspaper note that Silva rejected Fulham's renewal proposal and Al Nassr's approach despite both offers being worth more than the package Benfica eventually put together.

That fits closely with the message Silva delivered during his official Benfica presentation.

At the unveiling, he openly admitted the financial side was not the decisive factor behind his move.

"In relation to the financial side, it was absolutely not the main reason why I am here at this moment. Otherwise I wouldn't be here," Silva explained.

The former Fulham manager also acknowledged that "the emotional side carried great weight" in his decision.

Benfica challenge won out
O Jogo suggest Silva viewed Benfica as an opportunity to return to competing for major honours on a regular basis. That was something he referenced himself during his presentation.

The newspaper argue that prospect ultimately outweighed the financial advantages available both in Saudi Arabia and through a new Fulham contract.

It is an interesting detail because the public discussion around Silva's departure often centred on the salary gap between Benfica and Fulham.

The latest reports suggest there was an even bigger financial temptation on the table.

According to the Saudi side, Al Nassr wanted Silva more than anyone else to replace Jorge Jesus. According to Silva himself, however, the attraction of Benfica proved stronger than the money on offer elsewhere.

By the end of the process, he had richer options available in both England and Saudi Arabia – and still chose Benfica.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-werent-the-only-club-told-no-marco-silva-chose-benfica-over-other-offer/

[WhiteJC]

The Pros and Cons of Fulham Appointing Alvaro Arbeloa
Fulham look set to embark upon a new era. Alvaro Arbeloa looks set to be appointed Fulham's new boss in one of the club's most crucial ever appointments.

What are the pros and cons of Arbeloa's appointment, and who is Alvaro Arbeloa?

An overview of Arbeloa's career:

After a career that stretched from the Bernabéu to Anfield, winning two UCL and Euro titles alongside singular World Cup and La Liga honours, Arbeloa started his managerial career in 2021 at La Fábrica with Infantil A (Real Madrid U14s), where he won an undefeated league title in his first and only season in charge.

Arbeloa then progressed onto Cadete A (U15/U16s) for a singular season and then moved onto Real Madrid's premier youth team, Juvenil A (U19s), from 2022.

In his inaugural season in charge at U19 level, Arbeloa won an unprecedented domestic treble in 22/23, and further won another U19 league title in 24/25 before embarking on his first role in senior football.

Arbeloa took charge of Castilla (Real Madrid's B team) in May 2025. The La Fábrica graduate's time as Castilla boss saw his side be in and around the promotion spots and reportedly play some superb football, but Xabi Alonso's January dismissal saw Arbeloa take the first-team hot seat at the start of this year.

Time as Real Madrid Boss

After a disastrous start, a Copa del Rey loss to third-tier Albacete, Arbeloa's side dispatched Mourinho's Benfica and Pep's Manchester City before narrowly losing 6–4 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, thanks to a late Eduardo Camavinga red card.

In the league, there was little to write home about in a mediocre 2nd-place finish by Madrid standards.

Off the pitch issues

It was off-the-pitch issues that stole the headlines of Arbeloa's reign. Alvaro took charge of a Real Madrid side in desperate need of harmony, with a squad uprising leading to Xabi Alonso's sacking.

That was far from the case, however. By May, it was reported that six first-team players were not on speaking terms with Arbeloa, and two separate incidents of players fighting had to be separated (Valverde and Tchouaméni, and Carreras and Rüdiger).

Did Arbeloa inherit a poisoned chalice or just make a bad situation worse? Either way, his only six months at the managerial top table aren't a ringing endorsement of his managerial talents...

Tactical breakdown:

Most common formations: 4–3–3 or 4–4–2/4–2–3–1.

In possession, Arbeloa's sides, unlike Silva's recent incarnations of this Fulham team, look to push possession vertically rather than recycle it.

High-flying full-backs pose the majority of the width in Arbeloa's system, while more conventional wingers push inside in a fluid system around the striker, with a wide forward often adjoining the striker up front to provide a false-nine and outlet threat up top.

A defensive-breaking №6 is crucial to provide balance to Arbeloa's side, with the Spaniard requiring two athletic №8s, or one №8 and a wide midfielder, to create overloads against opposition full-backs. The №6 is often the man in charge of screening the back four on his own. That is a position Fulham will need to strengthen.

Out of possession, organised pressing, nicknamed 'Salta', is a principle Arbeloa holds close.

Pressing on triggers, pressing from the front, and pressing in numbers is just one of the facets of contemporary Spanish management Arbeloa has adopted, with a high line part of the territory of this high-pressing system.

Arbeloa's system is about pace, pressing, packing players in between the lines, and attacking fluidity. Do Fulham have the squad for that?

The Pros of Arbeloa's Appointment

Learnt from and achieved the best. Arbeloa's list of achievements and contacts are his biggest asset. A serial winner who learnt from some of management's biggest names (José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benítez, and Vicente del Bosque), Arbeloa no doubt has had the opportunity to learn from some of football's brightest minds.

Contacts across the game and relationship with Florentino Pérez. Arbeloa is still well thought of in Madridista circles. Florentino Pérez tried to convince Arbeloa to stay at the Bernabéu as José Mourinho's backroom staff, but the Spaniard refused. He wanted more.



https://medium.com/@LondonsOriginal/the-pros-and-cons-of-fulham-appointing-alvaro-arbeloa-f67498fe18ee

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'really like' two candidates to replace Silva
Fulham have two candidates "in particular" to take over from former manager Marco Silva, says the club's vice-chairman and director of football operations Tony Khan.

Portuguese Silva left Craven Cottage earlier this month after five years to join Benfica and replace Jose Mourinho, who has been reappointed as head coach at Real Madrid.

Last week, BBC Sport reported Fulham were in advanced talks with 43-year-old Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa over the post, while Frank Lampard has also been linked. The former England midfielder, 47, led Coventry City back to the Premier League last season after lifting the Championship title.

Speaking to FFCtv,, external Khan said Fulham had expected Silva, 48, to sign a new deal to stay.

But in the search for his successor, the American businessman added: "There have been a lot of names mentioned and it is interesting because it is going very well and there has been a few great conversations in particular.

"We have got a few people that the board are talking to that are very exciting and interesting candidates.

"There have been people who we have been linked to, where it says they were the frontrunner or that there was conversations, that were people we have never talked to or never even had a conversation about."

Fulham are also known to have held talks with Kieran McKenna, who has since departed as manager of Ipswich Town following their promotion to the Premier League, saying he wanted a break to spend time with his family.

Khan said: "There have been some rumours, but at the same time, we have had lots of conversations and meetings. We have been actively talking.

"There are two in particular who have had multiple meetings with the board and who we really like, but we are open to more conversations and talking to more people. We are working on that process right now."

Fulham finished 11th in the table last season, missing out on a place in Europe by two points.

A former defender for both Liverpool and West Ham, Arbeloa was in charge of Real Madrid at the end of last season on an interim basis, having replaced Xabi Alonso - who has been appointed Chelsea's new boss - midway through the campaign.

After a successful 13-year playing career at Stamford Bridge, Lampard started his managerial career at Derby before spells at Chelsea, Everton and then Coventry in 2024.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/czxq14ee79do

[WhiteJC]

Fulham keen on permanent transfer for Bayern Munich forward
Fulham are reportedly keen on signing Bayern Munich youngster on a permanent deal after spending las season on loan at Craven Cottage.

Bayern Munich have been busy at the start of the transfer window as they look to strengthen the squad that won the domestic double last season. The Bavarian club is close to completing deals for Ismael Saibari and Nathaniel Brown. The two players will cost Bayern close to €110 million, including add-ons.

Die Roten will focus on settling the books once these two signings are through the door. Any other arrival will depend on the departures. Bayern will also look to define the futures of players who were out on loan last season.

Jonah Kusi-Asare is one of the Bayern players who could leave Munich on a permanent deal this summer. The young striker spent last season on loan at Fulham. Even though he didn't get significant game time, the London-based club wants to include him in their long-term plans.

According to Sky Sports journalist Kerry Hau, Fulham are interested in signing Kusi-Asare on a permanent transfer this summer. However, the Premier League side has no plans to pay the fee, which they had agreed to as part of the loan deal last summer.

Fulham will look to negotiate a fee lower than what Die Roten wanted for Kusi-Asare. It remains to be seen if the Swedish striker wants to stay at Craven Cottage after making 10 appearances last season.

It will be interesting to see if Bayern ends up negotiating a buy-back or sell-on clause with Fulham on a permanent transfer of Kusi-Asare. Bayern will not have a backup striker in the squad next season since Nicolas Jackson has returned to Chelsea at the end of the season.

Kusi-Asare is not at the same level as Kane, but his profile is ideal for a backup number nine Bayern should have in the squad. The Swedish striker needs to play regularly at this stage of his career, so it wouldn't make sense for him to stay at Bayern as a backup number nine.

Bayern are not expected to sign a striker this summer
Even though Nicolas Jackson has returned to Chelsea, Bayern are not planning to look for a striker in the transfer market. They can utilise Serge Gnabry in the number nine position when Harry Kane needs a rest.

Ismael Saibari can also play as a striker as he has done at times for Morocco. His versatility is going to be an asset for the Bundesliga champions. Jamal Musiala can operate as a false nine if needed, so Vincent Kompany will have several options in the attack whenever he plans to give Harry Kane a breather.



https://bayernstrikes.com/fulham-keen-on-permanent-transfer-for-bayern-munich-forward

[Mickeyboro]

https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/dennis-turner-an-unsung-fulham-legend
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Really hope you all enjoy this. It was a pleasure to write about someone who was a father figure to me and did so much for FFC.