Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 15/07/26...

[WhiteJC]

Player is now 'awaiting Sunderland' over Fulham – €30m could prove enough
Matias Soule has emerged as a target for Sunderland and his preference for a new destination is now clear.

Sport Witness have covered how Florent Ghisolfi is playing a key role behind a move for the Argentine. He saw him from up close during his spell in Rome, as the attacker joined from Juventus on a permanent deal in the summer of 2024.

He has faced ups and downs since then but there is belief he hasn't met his full potential.

The ex-Juve man has contributed to 25 goals across two seasons but it could have been more, if not for fitness issues. As Roma look for capital gains, Sunderland could have real hope of signing him.

No interest in joining Fulham
Corriere dello Sport report that Soule could be one of the hottest names in Roma's transfer window. He is a likely candidate to depart, with his agent having initiated discussions with both Sunderland and Fulham.

It is believed the ball is in the court of the English clubs. The Giallorossi want €35m to sell, with Soule having rejected moves to the Middle East. He is keen on staying in Europe and is likely to have a preference for the Black Cats.

This is because of Regis Le Bris' side presence in Europe next season.

Il Messaggero have similar information but feel the price could go down to €30m.

They believe the 23-year-old is 'awaiting Sunderland', having put offers from Saudi Arabia on hold.

Player unsure about future
Coverage around Soule doesn't end there. The Italian press caught up with him when the attacker returned to Roma's training ground, ahead of their pre-season training.

He was directly asked about his future and the player expressed doubts about staying in Rome.

He said – via Il Romanista: "Should I stay at Roma? I don't know, I just got back."

Transfer gaining momentum
All signs suggest that everyone is pushing for Soule's Roma exit. The club want capital gains and his entourage is already at work to find a new club.

Sunderland should be alert to this, as they will sign a player who is proven at a European level. While he hasn't made the next step, Soule has undoubted quality.

He thrives in 1v1 situations, can play out wide on either side, while being a natural attacking midfielder. He has often come up with big performances in big games and because of his versatility, can fit into Le Bris' system well.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/player-is-now-awaiting-sunderland-over-fulham-e30m-could-prove-enough/

[WhiteJC]

Aston Villa and Fulham now make approaches to sign £9m Barcelona player
Aston Villa and Fulham have come forward to sign a Barcelona star, with the La Liga champions now prepared to sanction a summer departure.

Signing a new forward may have to be one of Villa's key priorities this summer, as Morgan Rogers is in line to join Arsenal, and the Gunners could make a bid for the England star in a matter of days.

The Cottagers are also facing the prospect of being raided by a rival Premier League club, with Liverpool joining the race to sign winger Kevin, who only arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer.

As both sides could lose one of their key forwards this summer, they have set their sights on a Barcelona player, and there are encouraging signs that a deal could be possible.

Aston Villa and Fulham keen on signing Barcelona forward
According to a report from Sport (via Sport Witness), Aston Villa and Fulham have now made approaches to sign Roony Bardghji, who has asked to leave Barca this summer.

Interestingly, it has been reported elsewhere that the La Liga side are prepared to consider sanctioning a sale for just €10m (£9m), amid widespread interest from English clubs, with Sunderland, Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion also keen.

Football FanCast's Verdict

Credibility	Both Aston Villa and Fulham may have to improve their attacking options this summer, considering Rogers and Kevin could leave. The Englishman bagged 10 goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season, whereas the Fulham star only managed to amass three goal involvements.
Finances	A deal in the region of £9m should be very affordable for a Premier League side. Keeping costs down may be particularly important for Unai Emery's side, who are known to be treading a fine line financially this summer.
Insight	At just 20-years-old, the young right-winger has found it difficult to force his way into Barcelona's star-studded starting XI, featuring for just 641 minutes in La Liga last season. However, there were promising signs at FC Copenhagen, as he scored 15 goals in 84 games for the Danish side.
Impact	Bardghji is a right-winger by trade and very rarely features anywhere else. As such, he could challenge Oscar Bobb for a starting spot at Fulham, or push for John McGinn's place in the Villa line-up.

Why Roony Bardghji may need to leave Barcelona
The youngster received major plaudits from scout Jacek Kulig during his time with FC Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga.

https://x.com/FTalentScout/status/1698371830480822305

However, since then, the Sweden international's career has stalled somewhat, picking up just one goal and one assist in La Liga last season, after only starting seven matches.

Roony Bardghi's La Liga stats

    21 appearances
    7 starts
    1 goal
    1 assist
    22 successful dribbles
    88.7% pass-completion rate
    14 chances created
    3 big chances created

Consequently, Bardghji could do with leaving Barcelona for the good of his career this summer, but it remains unclear whether he would be able to make an instant impact at Fulham or Villa, as he is yet to prove himself in one of Europe's major leagues.



https://www.footballfancast.com/aston-villa-and-fulham-roony-bardghji-transfer-news/

[WhiteJC]

The bonfire of FulAmerica's vanities at the World Cup 2026
Or the setback in the dream to "put soccer on the map".

It was the second goal that really killed it.

Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere ran forward, rose up and forced his way between Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson and headed a perfectly delivered corner from Leandro Trossard into the net while throwing Ream to the ground like he was a toddler.

De Kelelaere is a fine player - who scored a similar goal in the quarterfinal against France - but in that second goal against the US he looked like he was the Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson instead of a 1.93m, 74kg second-string national team forward who plays in Serie A.

And, Trossard - normally a third choice option for Arsenal in trying to score on delivered balls from corners - became Declan Rice. Meanwhile, formerly reliable Premier League defenders Ream and Jedi suddenly turned into - bad - youth footballers.

After that second goal and the two more that followed, the problematic dream of soccer in America was set on fire, like the piles of books, paintings, playing cards, dresses and other "vanities" set on a bonfire by Savonarola and his fantatical supporters in Florence's Piazza della Signoria in 1497.

The American soccer dream
If you live in the US and root for, read about, and watch a lot of US national men's team soccer, you invariably hear players, coaches and pundits talking about how when the team takes the next step that "American soccer will be on the map." It's the dream.

And, this year, with this "World Cup, was supposed to be the year that it happened and the dream was realized.

American soccer/football fans are an interesting group. We are - mostly - non-traditional sports fans in the US. Rooting for the US Men's national team which we, in the US, call the USMNT and Premier League teams like Fulham, as an American fan, is like being a fan of an alt rock band or pour-over coffee. Yes, things like Ted Lasso and being able to see Premier League games on national TV in the US changed things but they have not yet - "put American soccer on the map."

I often try to explain my USMNT and Fulham fandom to friends and family and they - with a few exceptions - look at me as if I was talking about collecting obscure historical artifacts. Whereas, I can always talk about my American Football fandom (I am a Chicago Bears fan) to any relative or any friend at any moment and immediately be fully connected.

I, for one, became a USMNT, Fulham and football fan because I was at the time fed up with American football (that has since changed because the Chicago Bears are now awesome). Also, my kid - like a lot of American soccer/football fans - played on a team and had become obsessed with the sport. So, I decided I wanted in.

I first started following the USMNT and then, because of players like Ream and Jedi and the FulAmerica movement, I found my way - for better and worse- to real Fulham fandom.

I joined fan groups around the US soccer team like you do with any obscure hobby so you can stop driving your partner crazy by trying to talk to them about it. I got involved in discussions and I learned about football and being a fan in the US and in the Premier League.

In the US fan groups, at the time, there was a divide between the USMNT fans who were "pro Europe" and those who were "pro-US." What this referred to was whether or not it was a good idea for US players to go to Europe as opposed to staying in the US and playing for Major League Soccer (MLS).

Now, this debate seems absurd. Of course it is better for Tyler Adams to play for Bournemouth than for the Chicago Fire because the Premier League is the best league in the world. But the argument was a real thing. The pro-US fans would call the pro-Europe US fans "elitists."

We - the pro Europe side - made counter arguments with data. I did things like cite global rankings of pro football leagues like this table that shows that US's MLS is ranked 18th, just below the Paraguay and Polish leagues. This did not go over well. The argument was resolved in favor of the "pro-Europe" side but only recently.

The weird thing is that for US fans is that we like the fact that soccer is - despite being the largest professional sport in the world - alternative in our country. But, yet we yearn for our friends and family to share our passion and to stop looking at us funny. So, many of us constantly talk about what it will take for everyone to join us and see how great football/soccer really is and to "put soccer on the map."

And, the solution that gets talked about the most is the USMNT and the World Cup. If the US could win or do well and capture the hearts and minds of America, everyone will like soccer and we will be happy.

This is a trap, of course. As all who have ever loved and cheered on an obscure band towards success knows, it sucks to be an OG fan among a sea of bandwagon followers. They, of course, don't really "get" the band.

The World Cup
This World Cup was supposed to be different. Our team was and is, despite the result with Belgium, good. We had many players at top teams in Europe. Our draw was do-able. We were hosts. We did well in the knockout round.

And, "big soccer" (a true oxymoron) was all over it in the US. The highly problematic star of the US team - Christian Pulisic - was on TV constantly, even alongside Messi, endorsing brands like Michelob Ultra. "Supporting cast" team members like Tyler Adams were spokespeople for products like Sensodyne. Fox - which broadcast the World Cup in the US - promoted the heck out of it. The hosts on Fox - including a mediocre, bellicose former player named Alexi Lalas - went on and on about how this was the big opportunity for US Soccer to get on the map if the team "wanted it enough".

Big soccer also got our controversial President involved. He palled around with the head of Fifa who rented an apartment in Trump Tower and gave him a peace prize. The biggest donor to US Soccer met with the President. And, then the President even went into action mode when our star striker got a red card and was suddenly unavailable for the next knockout game to try and change things. Our President cared about soccer! Maybe if the US team could win the next game and beat Belgium, soccer would finally be on the map!

The red card
On my social feeds, after Balogun got the red card, I was offered T-shirts with the slogan "Free Balo."

I read debates on the Fulhamish Telegram group which, went like this.

US Fan: "that red card was an outrage!"

Non US fan: "you are on drugs."

But it was fun and harmless until Trump, apparently at the moronic urging of governing bodyUS Soccer, succeeded and got the game ban reversed (he is very good at corruption after all). My fellow soccer fans in the US messaged me right after the decision "Balo can play!" "Hooray" we - the US fans thought. Then the backlash started.

Suddenly, we were on the map, for the wrong reasons. The world hated us and our team.

A note about Americans from an American
When I first visited Europe in the mid 1980s, I was shocked. Some of my fellow travelers didn't like me because of Reagan who was then President. I tried to explain that I didn't like Reagan either - I actually worked on the Mondale campaign. But, they didn't care. We Americans - even the ones who like "soccer" and didn't vote for the President that everyone hates - are still Americans and, so, the subject of ire from many.

Some of my fellow travelers actually pretended they were from Canada and sewed Maple Leafs on their backpacks. I went the other way and "defended my country" in arguments with drunk Australians in Earl's Court. None of it was good, but it was illustrative about a key thing about Americans.

The thing about Americans is that we often don't understand 1) the outsized impact our country's culture, business, politics have on everyone else and 2) how much this impact - understandably - pisses a lot of people off.

This is because many Americans - even the ones who like soccer - don't spend a lot of time reading about places outside of America. I am generalizing but it is true. The big divide in US politics right now is not between the left and right but between the people who read about politics, issues and everyone else who does not - and it's not close, most are in the second camp. Yes, US soccer fans do tend to be in the smaller "give a crap" bucket but even we are - dare I say - a little naive about how the US is perceived abroad.

It was probably not a good idea at a time when our country is literally trying to take over territory that belongs to Europe (Greenland), sending our army into other countries, setting tariffs on any goods worldwide to our advantage and having billionaires intervene in politics around the globe, to try and get a special break in the one sport and area where the US is not dominant. People around the world were pretty unhappy that we actually "freed Balo."

But, because we Americans - mostly - don't understand how we are perceived - the reaction to the Balogun suspension and the fact that everyone now hated our team was shocking, especially for US soccer fans hoping that we would "finally be on the map".

Killing the USMNT dream
The Belgium team - as illustrated by Charles De Ketelaere's superhuman goal - were pretty motivated to beat the US after the red card reversal. Our President - and US Soccer - managed to unite Belgium's famously divided team. "Of course, that motivated the group," (said) Nicolas Raskin, who set up the early opening goal.... "It was an injustice that made for a special build-up. That makes winning this match extra special." They even famously did the Trump dance post match.

In the US, fans are still debating whether or not our team - for negative reasons - became the biggest story at the World Cup and the fact that the world hated the US team might have had an impact on our players.

It is of course - like the "pro-Europe" and "pro-US" debate - ridiculous. Our best players are from or live or have lived in Europe. Their social feeds were inundated with messages about the red card as the following message on one of the main USMNT discussion groups illustrates. Tim Ream is not - even at 38 - that bad especially when he does not have to run.



But, the debate goes on and is telling about US fans. We don't want to believe that the world hates us and we really, really want the world to know that we, and our team, are different. We like soccer after all!

Where do we go from here?
I for one think there is a silver lining to all of this. "Big soccer" in the US blew its big opportunity to put "soccer on the map". But, this - in my opinion - can be a good thing. I like that soccer is not like American football in the US. And, I don't want it conflated with American exceptionalism. I just want to enjoy football.

I think the USMNT is good, but not elite, and plan to enjoy the heck out of rooting for them at CONCACAF qualifying. I am sorry for Christian Pulisic that he is going to lose some of that sweet sponsorship money and that Tyler Adams might no longer get free Sensodyne, but am not unhappy that things will go back to normal.

Hopefully, talented players like Flo Balogun with options to play elsewhere will still want to play for the US even though the dream is dead.

I, for one, don't care if soccer "gets on the map" - I just want to enjoy good football hopefully at future World Cups and at Craven Cottage.

Oh, and after all this, I have decided I am no longer a "FulAmerica" fan, I am just a Fulham fan.

I am still a Jedi stan though.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/the-bonfire-of-fulamericas-vanities

[WhiteJC]

Player agrees personal terms with Fulham – Arbeloa's side 'getting closer', €30m needed
Fulham have made progress in their pursuit of Trabzonspor's Chibuike Nwaiwu.

The centre-back joined the Turkish club from Wolfsberger AC for €6m in January and made 21 appearances.

He even managed three goals and an assist, and his performances have convinced Fulham.

On June 16th, Sport Witness covered claims from Turkey that Fulham are preparing to make an offer over €10m for Nwaiwu. The London club have also seen Trabzonspor reject their €10m bid for his teammate, Wagner Pina.

A week later, a source close to the 22-year-old said the London club have genuine interest.

West Ham United are also looking at the defender, who can operate as a defensive midfielder. The same source states the Süper Lig side will need an offer of €30-35m to sell him.

Fulham make advances
Foot Mercato now picks up on that and covers the latest on the Premier League side's efforts to sign the Nigeria international.

Since the reports from last month emerged, Fulham have appointed Álvaro Arbeloa as Marco Silva's successor.

The Spaniard's arrival won't change their plan to sign Chibuike Nwaiwu.

Arbeloa's new side have reached an agreement with the player for a contract until 2030, without the report mentioning the salary details.

The English club are 'getting closer' to bringing him to London. It's now down to them to find an agreement with Trabzonspor, and that won't be easy.

Price could make signing difficult
Trabzonspor invested €6m on Chibuike Nwaiwu and now want at least five time that.

Although Fulham are 'getting closer', Foot Mercato makes no mention of whether they're prepared to pay that.

The Premier League side spent €30m on Jean Michaël Seri in 2018. Since then, Fulham have only spent more on Oscar Bobb [31.2m], Emile Smith Rowe [€31.8m] and Kevin [€40m].

All three are attackers and it's unclear whether Álvaro Arbeloa's side will spend €30m on the defender.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/player-agrees-personal-terms-with-fulham-arbeloas-side-getting-closer-e30m-needed/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'Determined To Complete The Transfer' Of Nigeria Star
Fulham have renewed their pursuit of Trabzonspor defensive starlet Chibuike Nwaiwu, with personal terms understood to be in place as the Premier League side remain determined to complete the transfer.

The right-footed Nigerian has emerged as one of the most exciting defensive prospects after enjoying a breakthrough Turkish Super Lig campaign last season.

Comfortable at centre-back, right-back, defensive midfield and central midfield, his versatility has quickly become one of his standout qualities.

Nwaiwu arrived at Trabzonspor from Austrian side Wolfsberger AC in January but wasted no time establishing himself as a regular starter for the Black Sea Storm.

The 22-year-old featured in 21 matches for the Super Lig outfit, scoring three goals and providing one assist as Trabzonspor secured a third-place finish in the league.

His impressive rise also earned him a Nigeria debut in March, with the 22-year-old going on to collect three caps during the international window.

The defender has since become a priority target for Fulham, who held talks with Nwaiwu and his representatives last week, with personal terms already understood to have been agreed ahead of a proposed move to west London.

According to Turkish journalist Hasan Tuncel, the Cottagers have now reopened talks with Trabzonspor as they step up their pursuit, remaining 'determined to complete the transfer' of the 22-year-old to Craven Cottage under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa.

It is also understood that Fulham have formally requested permission to hold direct talks with the player.

Trabzonspor are demanding no less than €30m for the Nigeria international, a fee that would represent a huge profit after signing him for just €6m only a few months ago.

Fulham view the versatile defender as an ideal long-term addition, with his age, adaptability and potential making him one of the club's leading defensive targets during the current transfer window.

As they look to strengthen after last season's 11th-place finish, the Cottagers are also exploring a move for Thomas Kristensen to reinforce the backline and have joined Leeds United in the race for Shea Charles to add further quality in midfield.



https://insidefutbol.com/2026/07/14/fulham-determined-to-complete-the-transfer-of-nigeria-star/719837/

[WhiteJC]

Player picks between Sunderland and Fulham as agent initiates club-record move
With Thomas Meunier already on his way, Sunderland have wasted no time before turning towards another talented target as their transfer business gets underway.

This time, however, Fulham could have their say. The West London club have joined the Black Cats in the race to sign Matias Soule from AS Roma and the attacking star has now taken his pick between the two Premier League clubs.

Football FanCast's Verdict

Credibility	Sunderland and Fulham look to be going head-to-head to sign Soule, who seems destined to leave Roma this summer. The winger has already rejected Saudi Arabia and now reportedly prefers a move to the Premier League and, more specifically, Sunderland in a major boost for the Wearside club.
Finances	The deal won't come cheap. Roma reportedly value Soule at around €35 (£30m), which would break Sunderland's current transfer record, which sits at £27m.
Insight	£30m would quickly turn into a bargain if Soule performed to his full potential. The winger is still just 23 years old and was involved in 15 goals in all competitions last season. If his preference is a move to Sunderland, then they must go all out this summer.
Impact	It's a blow for Fulham, but it should be full steam ahead for Sunderland now, who can land a player who would instantly become their best winger next season. The Cottagers, meanwhile, would be forced back into the market.

Sunderland know exactly what they must pay to sign Soule and they should be aware of his transfer preference, making the 23-year-old one to watch.

Soule picks between Sunderland and Fulham move
According to Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, Soule now prefers a move to Sunderland rather than Fulham this summer. His agent has already initiated contact with both clubs over what would especially be an expensive deal for the Black Cats, given that it would break their transfer record.

Roma reportedly value Soule at around €35 (£30m), which would make the winger more expensive than Habib Diarra, who cost £27m this time last year.

Sunderland should go all out to sign Soule
Soule is an undeniable talent. Whilst he is not the finished product quite yet, this is still a player who was involved in 15 goals in all competitions last season. Compared to the output of someone like Chemsdine Talbi, the Black Cats would have a clear upgrade.

If those at the Stadium of Light are to go all out for anyone this summer, then it should be the young Argentinian who's still got so much more to offer as he develops. At just £30m, he would be a bargain buy even whilst breaking Sunderland's club record.



https://www.footballfancast.com/matias-soule-picks-sunderland-fulham-agent-initiates-club-record-move/

[WhiteJC]

New Fulham boss, new approach to signings?
With Alvaro Arbeloa installed at Fulham, will a new head coach also lead to a new approach to signings?

The club often did business late in transfer windows under Marco Silva, and many would like to see that change.

Jack Kelly is joined by fellow Fulham-supporting journalists Jon Harland and Joseph Gunning to discuss Arbeloa's arrival, Fulham's prospects for next season – and plenty more.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/new-fulham-boss-new-approach-to-signings

[WhiteJC]

The First Interview: Álvaro Arbeloa

In his first feature-length interview since being appointed Fulham Head Coach, Álvaro Arbeloa discusses what attracted him to the Club, his ambitions for the group, and the style of football we can expect to see from his team.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/july/14/the-first-interview-alvaro-arbeloa/

[Fulham Tup North]

Good interview... he said all the right things 
 
COYW