Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 08/09/26...e

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Premier League Heroes and Villains: Criminal Fulham should be docked points – Alvaro Arbeloa is an imposter
Comeback victories, last-gasp equalisers, winless streaks extended and more VAR drama.

It was another enthralling weekend of Premier League football with two title challengers once again showing their credentials, as another showed they may just be pretenders.

A total of 23 goals were scored across ten fixtures, though for Tottenham, Aston Villa and Coventry, their search for a first top-flight goal goes on.

What were the Premier League results this weekend?
The third matchweek of the new campaign saw Liverpool register their first win under Andoni Iraola, with the Reds beating Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road thanks to Alexander Isak's double.

A four-goal thriller was then played out at St James' Park as Newcastle left it late to rescue a point in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

There was no slip-up for Manchester City, who held on for a 1-0 victory over a battling Coventry side, who are yet to register their first point.

Meanwhile, pressure continues to grow on Alvaro Arbeloa, whose Fulham side also remain without a point after losing 3-2 at home to Crystal Palace - despite twice leading at Craven Cottage.

Tottenham may have splashed out around £320million on new players this summer, but they can't buy a win, as they drew 0-0 away at Nottingham Forest to put an end to back-to-back defeats.

Unai Emery's Villa also halted their losing start, though they failed to make a breakthrough against a resilient Hull side, with the Tigers up to third spot as a result of their 0-0 draw.

There were also 1-1 draws played out in the Brighton vs Leeds and Brentford vs Sunderland games.

Moving onto Sunday, and Manchester United dropped two points at the death away at Everton, as Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored a dream debut goal for the Toffees in the sixth minute of stoppage time to salvage a draw in a 2-2 epic.

And in the blockbuster clash of the weekend, Arsenal vs Chelsea lived up to expectations, with the hosts recovering from Morgan Rogers' opener inside 77 seconds to win 2-1.

Though the champions can perhaps count themselves lucky they finished with ten men after Gabriel Magalhaes escaped a red card for a kick on Emiliano Martinez's head.

With plenty to discuss from the weekend's football, talkSPORT's Sam Matterface, Alex Crook and Troy Deeney dissect the drama in our Premier League All Access show.

Picking out their heroes and villains, here's what they had to say...

Who are talkSPORT's Premier League Heroes?

Ainsley Maitland Niles/Angus Kinnear
After three years away from England, Maitland-Niles returned to his homeland in a £3m deadline day deal from Lyon.

And the former Arsenal star proved it was money well spent by scoring a 25-yard stunner off the bench.

Matterface was quick to give him his flowers - much to the dismay of United fan Crook - who told his colleague to 'f*** off'.

Through laughter, Matterface said: "I think joyous moments like that must be celebrated, and I think they can be celebrated by the fans of the club to which it happens and every neutral as well.

"I thought he's been a player who obviously came through Arsenal, he got into the England squad, he was shunted off [on loan] to Southampton, didn't quite work out for him there.

"I think he went off to Roma [on loan] for a little bit on his own, he went to West Brom [on loan], he went to Lyon, he actually succeeded quite well at Lyon, I think they quite liked him there.

"They brought him back to the Premier League, Everton, and on his debut, his first appearance, he's come up with a goal which saves a point, it's an unbelievable strike."

Matterface would then group Everton chief executive Angus Kinnear in with Maitland-Niles as a hero, after fellow new recruit Tyrique George got on the score sheet, with Jack Grealish also making an impact off the bench.

Cody Gakpo
While Isak may have brought up his second and third goals of the season, it was Gakpo who supplied both of the assists in the opening ten minutes in Suffolk.

The Dutch winger came close to leaving Anfield before the window slammed shut, as he once again showed how important he is for the Reds.

With one goal and three assists to his name this term, Deeney waxed lyrical over the ex-PSV star.

Giving his reasoning, he remarked: "To be in the middle of all of these transfer rumours, 'Is he going to Spurs? Is he going to Man City?'

"But then to still perform to the level he did, two assists and basically was the best player on the pitch by a country mile.

"I actually think it's going to be really difficult for [Bradley] Barcola to take that left position now because, even though Barcola is obviously fantastic and they bought him in for all that money, Gakpo's just been that good this season.

"It's like, why would you move him? He's the only piece of Liverpool, other than Isak actually, that is actually working."

Luka Vuskovic
Dubbed as a future Tottenham star, the Croatian starlet was sold by Spurs to Brighton in July for a club-record £50m.

And the 19-year-old centre-back, who scored 13 goals in the last two seasons on loan at Westerlo and Hamburg, opened his account for Brighton to rescue a point for the Seagulls.

Having watched the defender first-hand at the Amex Stadium over the weekend, Crook stated: "I'm going to go for Luka Vuskovic, who I saw score his first ever Premier League goal for Brighton.

"He couldn't miss really, but [it was] a great moment for him.

"I think he's someone who's still got a bit to learn defensively, he got beaten up by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but he'll get there.

"I think at the other end, he is going to be quite a threat from these set pieces.

"I think he'll get a lot of goals over the course of his career."

Who are talkSPORT's Premier League villains?

Alvaro Arbeloa
It was another disastrous weekend for Fulham, who have now lost their opening three games to leave them in 19th spot.

Already tipped for relegation, former Real Madrid boss Arbeloa has emerged as one of the favourites to be the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season.

Slamming the Spaniard, Matterface joked they should be docked points.

He said: "I said it back in August that I think Fulham will be in danger if Arbeloa undoes the work of Marco Silva.

"Three games in, and the structure that Silva built is seemingly put to the wayside.

"He said it himself, 'We conceded very easy goals.'"

Sam, though, was less than impressed with the manner at which the goals were conceded and went one further. "The defending in that game bordered on criminal," he added.

"The defending was just awful, it was awful, and I think maybe both of them should be docked points!

"They've lost three games in a row, and they've got Liverpool to play next."

Meanwhile Deeney simply stated: "They're just a bad outfit, and they're really soft and easy to play against."

Declan Rice
While he may have been instrumental once again for Arsenal, the England hero was involved in a heated exchange with Three Lions hero Morgan Rogers.

As Chelsea pushed for a late equaliser, Rogers was tripped by Rice outside the box as he looked to provide support for Cole Palmer.

While the incident was missed by referee Chris Kavanagh, Rogers was left furious with Rice, as he pushed the ex-West Ham skipper, resulting in a frosty altercation between the two.

The former Aston Villa winger, who was on Arsenal's radar in the summer, was subsequently booked, while Rice got off scot-free.

Commenting on the flashpoint, Matterface said: "I would like to nominate Declan Rice for kicking the back of Morgan Rogers' ankles.

"That was unnecessary, and as Morgan said, 'Let's not do that, let's not do that."

Craig Pawson
Tottenham may have got their first point on the table, but they were fortunate VAR were on their side at the City Ground.

Neco Williams thought he had bundled in Forest's opener, only for the goal to be chalked off for handball - much to his anger.

And while Deeney acknowledges that on-field referee Pawson was ultimately right to overturn the goal, he wanted Spurs' misery to extend for another week.

He cheekily quipped: "I've gone for Craig Pawson, just because he let Spurs off the hook, so he's a villain, he was obviously the referee.

"I agree with him, I think he's right.

"But it would have been a much better podcast if Spurs had lost, so that's the angle."



https://talksport.com/football/4562560/premier-league-heroes-and-villains-gakpo-arbeloa/

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Surprise as Fulham activate €22m clause over the weekend – Excitement for director
Fulham have made Hugo Larsson's stay permanent, after signing him on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt on deadline day.

That's according to Kicker, who covers this surprise report about Fulham making his stay permanent.

Late move to Fulham
The midfielder joined the Bundesliga side from Malmö FF in 2023. Last season, he played 2,481 minutes from 34 matches, managing two goals and three assists.

New manager Adi Hütter left the Sweden international out of his core plans this season. Eintracht Frankfurt had to wait until deadline day to sanction a loan move.

On their official website, the German club confirmed there's an obligation to buy him at the end of the season.

Kicker reports the Premier League side agreed to make Hugo Larsson's stay permanent if the pre-agreed condition is met.

Condition for Fulham's purchase obligation
The German magazine states the purchase clause is €22m and this will come into effect when he makes his first appearance for Fulham.

At the weekend, Álvaro Arbeloa brought him on to replace Oscor Bobb in the 79th minute in their 3-2 league defeat to Crystal Palace. With this, Fulham's €22m clause came into effect, resulting in the London club making the player's loan permanent.

Last week, Sport Witness covered a report from Germany explaining and Hugo Larsson and Jean-Mattéo Bahoya's loan moves to Fulham and Leeds United saved the German club's sporting director, Markus Krösche's job.

He would have watched the English club's clash against the Eagles. Krösche must have been excited when the Swede came on in the final quarter last Saturday.

This is surprising considering Eintracht Frankfurt have confirmed the purchase obligation is for the end of the season. Despite this, Kicker states Fulham have triggered the clause and made the player's stay permanent, just days after signing him on loan.



https://sportwitness.co.uk/surprise-as-fulham-activate-e22m-clause-over-the-weekend-excitement-for-director/

[WhiteJC]

It's time for Fulham to trust the process
The signs of promise shouldn't go unnoticed despite what has proven to be a tough start.

As the fifth goal went in at Craven Cottage yesterday, my view of the penalty box could not have been more perfect. Right below me I witnessed the slide rule pass coming along the inside of a tiring Antonee Robinson, I gasped as Bernd Leno came rushing out recklessly, and then winced as Joachim Anderson wildly challenged from the wrong angle before the ball ballooned delightfully for Palace's Chilwell. I thought to myself, this reminds me of Wolves' 4-1 victory at the Cottage under Marco Silva. That was a day to forget for Fulham too. It was "sixes and sevens". But this was only one action in the Palace defeat, and it didn't show the full picture.

For 65 minutes or so, Fulham had Palace's number. At half-time Fulham could, and probably should, have been out of sight. Josh King was excellent, he made Adam Wharton look distinctly average in midfield in front of Thomas Tuchel, who was watching on. Shea Charles picked up the pockets inside our half and had Daichi Kamada looking at Pierre Sage in exasperation for assistance. Fulham were by far the better team with possession and outclassed their opponents. For their first goal, Palace got lucky that Timo Castagne was overly enthusiastic in trying to win the ball back. With Fulham pushing for the win as the game went on, it was clear to see they needed to stay calm and let Palace's poor form do the talking. Sadly they pushed too hard and high. Palace snatched victory without having to break into a gallop. The stats back this up. Don't be fooled by lazy punditry and the unimaginative media narrative. Fulham had 7 corners, Palace had 1. Fulham played 602 successful passes and Palace played 297. Fulham had 25 shots, Palace had 10. More than twice the output, but no reward...yet.

Arbeloa has impressively placed his imprint on the team in such a small space of time. It is astounding how well the players have responded to instructions. Fulham are far more exciting than they were last season. Whereby on large, Fulham unconvincingly managed to scrape through games with a one goal margin. What I've witnessed as a Fulham fan so far this season is remarkable. The fluidity and the tempo is another level. The way Fulham beat the Palace press, time after time, was breathtaking. Performance wise, I have no doubt that there will be games where Fulham completely dominate the occasion if the defending significantly improves.

Arbeloa is still at the beginning of his journey with the team. He'll be learning that there will be times in games where Fulham need to a) keep it tight for 15 minutes without possession, b) play more direct to stop the opposition getting into a rhythm, or c) keep the ball for long periods to nullify the game. He'll also be learning that a team can have more than one gear called 'go', and that players can preserve energy during a game to see out the latter stages.

There is a relatively new footballing cliche that needs to be rolled out in the halls of the Cottage. It is our turn to "trust the process". Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta, even Pep Guardiola and now Adoni Iraola (who got his first win after 10 Premier League games) all struggled initially when stepping into this division. They were all backed and trusted through difficult patches nonetheless. They all learned quickly, they all adapted and began to understand the requirements. We have to trust that this manager, who shares his nationality with all these big names, can string a set of results together before it is too late.

Additionally, Arbeloa's press conferences and interviews seem to be a masterclass in composure. He doesn't seem to relish smashing up the microphone unless absolutely necessary. Comparing Arbeloa's calmness to the rage of discarded Premier League managers Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou is for the birds.

At the beginning of the season I implored Fulham fans to be patient, and warned that there will be tactical tweaks that may not deliver immediately. It is time to echo that sentiment. The whole squad will be feeling the impact of this reset. Short-term thinking, snap judgements and quick impulsive decisions should be limited to very occasional involuntary defensive lapses taking place on the pitch.

As fans, we have to back the new plan and give it a chance. After all, Silva left us high and dry. Almost all of his specifically requested recruits played yesterday. Fulham can make him look foolish if we meet Benfica in Europe next year as swashbuckling jugadors complete with defensive solidity. In my humble opinion, that defensive solidity is the next points winning piece required to see the full picture in the Arbeloa puzzle.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/its-time-for-fulham-to-trust-the

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Nigeria: Iwobi's History-Making Feat Marred By Fulham's 3-2 Home Loss to Palace
· Becomes fifth player and first African with 100 PL appearances for three different clubs

Nigeria international, Alex Iwobi has become only the fifth player and the first African in Premier League history to make at least 100 appearances for three different clubs after featuring for Fulham in their 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace yesterday.

The Super Eagles midfielder reached the landmark at Craven Cottage after starting the Premier League encounter. Iwobi had already made 100 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and 123 for Everton before reaching the century mark with Fulham.

Iwobi now joins an exclusive group featuring Gary Speed, Rory Delap, Gareth Barry and James Milner, who have previously made 100 or more Premier League appearances for three different clubs.

The Hale graduate was involved in Fulham's attacking play during the match, taking corners and attempting an effort inside the Palace penalty area.

Fulham took the lead in the 11th minute when Joshua King collected the ball inside the box before firing a deflected effort past Dean Henderson.

Palace responded through Tyrick Mitchell in the 35th minute, after his first goal had earlier been ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Cesar Palacios restored Fulham's lead in the 42nd minute by firing home a rebound, but Mitchell completed his brace in the 54th minute to bring Palace level at 2-2.

Crystal Palace eventually completed the comeback in the 77th minute when Ben Chilwell reacted quickest to a rebound inside the box and fired into the bottom-right corner to make it 3-2.



https://allafrica.com/stories/202609070341.html

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Unrest at Fulham: Who's to blame?
Fulham's third loss of the season has sparked a series of headlosses.

It's been a start to forget for everyone involved at Fulham Football Club.

That's now three defeats from the opening three in fixtures, two of which we picked up six points from last season. There have been positives from an attacking point of view, but our defensive frailties resulted in tension boiling over at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

"What the f**king hell was that?" was the cry from the Fulham faithful at full-time. Most came to applaud the Hammersmith End, some didn't, and a whole load of cryptic social media activity has emerged in the aftermath.

Kevin posted an Instagram story which said "no speak, no hear, no see", Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith Rowe have deleted all of their Fulham posts from Instagram and Kenny Tete reportedly said "speak to that f**ing coach" when asked by a fan outside Craven Cottage why he's not involved. But where does the blame lie for this frustration from some of the players?

Too much change?
Two camps appeared to have formed online following this fallout. Some blaming Arbeloa and some looking for the players to hold some accountability.

Alvaro Arbeloa's made his opinions clear regarding our early performances, particularly after our 1-0 defeat to Sunderland. He questioned effort, fight, technical quality, the attitude of the players, character, mentality and ambition. This is understandably going to ruffle a few feathers so early into his tenure especially as it's something we rarely saw from Marco Silva in the past.

Arbeloa's comments after Crystal Palace also left some question marks with an unusually large amount of praise falling to his Real Madrid boys with a failure to mention anyone else (particularly Josh King who was once again remarkable).

"Palacios and Garcia had a terrific game, that's the spirit I want from my players", was the cry from Arbeloa after the 3-2 defeat and I may be jumping to conclusions here, but given the fall out, could there be a case of favoritism?

I'll leave that to you whether that's a jump or a leap on my behalf, but Arbeloa's behavior in the media needs to change whether people like it or not. He's new to management and maybe not as savvy as Marco Silva when it comes to the outside noise. Whatever camp you're in on this, we cannot be in a position where a manager alienates a decent proportion of the squad.

Accountability
Another argument that's been made is that the buck stops with those who are complaining. During pre-season, Joachim Andersen was interviewed by the club and spoke about a difference in training. Arbeloa was making them run a lot more and work a lot harder during those early pre-season moments compared to Marco Silva.

Arbeloa also came out prior to the AFC Wimbledon game and put pressure on Emile Smith Rowe and Kevin (interestingly two of the four involved in this fall out).

"I have so many players, all of them are very good players, but they will play if they deserve it. It's not about how much you cost, it's not about your salary, it's not about your name, it's about what you can do", said Arbeloa.

Is the real question a lack of effort from some in the squad? Kevin, Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi are three players who have been questioned in the past by Fulham fans under Marco Silva for a lack of effort and end product. Does the buck stop with them? Are they failing to match higher standards set by the former Real Madrid man?

Kenny Tete's comments (whether they are true or not) are the one outlier in this as I think he has every right to be annoyed. Despite being adored by the Fulham faithful and proving under Silva just how good he can be, Tete appears to have been exiled by Arbeloa and a move to Everton fell through due to Fulham's inability to bring a replacement in. Tete was not in the squad on Saturday and you'd imagine will now sit on the bench from now until January before getting a move elsewhere.

Both sides to blame
For me, this is six of one and half a dozen of the other. Alvaro Arbeloa obviously has new ways of doing things. Add into the mix the fact he's a pretty inexperienced coach whose not yet got the full understanding of how to operate in the media and also within player relations, there is understandable friction. Think about what Marco Silva was known for before joining Fulham compared to how he operated under us, these things take time for managers as well as players.

Certain players need to take some accountability though. Kevin and Emile Smith Rowe have particularly flattered to deceive since their arrivals at the club. Kevin was brought off the bench for both the Chelsea and Sunderland game and failed to make an impact. Smith Rowe has yet to earn back even half of the fee we paid from Arsenal and ultimately while the pair can sit and make childish social media posts, the fact of the matter is they are two very well paid Premier League players and aren't performing to the level that's required.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/unrest-at-fulham-whos-to-blame

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Fulham stars 'unhappy' with Alvaro Arbeloa as sack decision looms
Alvaro Arbeloa could be in trouble at Fulham amid suggestions of unrest behind the scenes at Craven Cottage.

Fulham lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace last time out, despite having led twice in the game, and have now lost all three of their Premier League games since the new manager's arrival.

Sections of the crowd were heard booing following the full time whistle, while there have also been claims that there are now a number of unhappy players at the club.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Arbeloa must turn around this recent run of form if he wants to get the fans on his side.

Following Marco Silva's departure at the end of last season, there was always likely to be intense scrutiny on the next Fulham manager, with the fans keen to push on.

However, after a disappointing start to the season and growing concerns about behind-the-scenes issues, questions are already being asked about Arbeloa's longt-term future.

Why is Alvaro Arbeloa already under pressure at Fulham?
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider back in June that Arbeloa was a "very risky" appointment for Fulham and could push them towards the bottom three.

There is a belief that the manager's lack of experience, despite landing the hot seat at Real Madrid in the latter stages of the season, mean he is still unproven at this level.

Those concerns, combined with frustrations from the crowd and potential issues arising in the dressing room, have not placed Arbeloa in a strong position to turn things around.

"It's been a really poor start to the season at Fulham, so it's no surprise the fans aren't happy," Brown told Football Insider.

"Marco Silva did a wonderful job there and raised the standard, so for any manager coming in, it was going to be tricky to match up to what he was doing.

"Any team who goes three games without a win, and who throws away two leads and goes on to lose again, is going to have questions asked of them because it's not good enough.

"There have also been whispers, if you believe what you hear, that some of the star players are unhappy, which is never a good sign.

"If results aren't going well on the pitch, you don't need these issues behind the scenes building up as well, because then you're in trouble.

"A lot of the noise and pressure will go away after they get a win on the board, that's the most important thing, but the longer they go without, the more it becomes a concern."

Did Fulham back Arbeloa in the transfer window?
Arbeloa's frustrating start to his tenure at Fulham has been highlighted in recent weeks, but little blame can be attributed to their work in the summer transfer window.

Fulham made seven new signings during the window, notably including the arrivals of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios, whom the boss enjoys a close relationship with.

Football Insider revealed in July that Garcia was seen as Fulham's top target during the summer as they aimed to support Arbeloa, who was key to getting the deal done.

The striker has enjoyed a bright start to life at Craven Cottage and has won plenty of plaudits for his performances despite the results on the pitch.

That has also been a concern for some sections of the crowd, however, with claims that his Real Madrid signings could be getting favourable treatment from the boss.



https://www.footballinsider247.com/fulham/fulham-stars-unhappy-with-alvaro-arbeloa-as-sack-decision-looms

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Fulham consider desperation bid for 34 year old Champions League winning full back
Fulham are considering a bid for Dani Carvajal as a free agent, some sources are claiming today after a slow start to the season.

The transfer window closed almost a week ago. Do you think that's going to stop us talking about players moving between clubs? Absolutely not. In fact, the fun is just beginning.

As the early weeks of the season go by, teams will start to realise where they've left themselves short. That's why it's not bad thing to be a free agent right now. You just keep yourself in shape and wait for teams to get desperate and come calling.

This year seems to have an exceptionally high standard of player without a team for this time of year – and one of the biggest names out there is Dani Carvajal.

Fulham could attempt hopeful punt on Dani Carvajal
Ok so he's 34 and has looked increasingly like a spent force in recent years. He's still a multiple Champions League winning former Real Madrid captain. There are surely teams who would be keen to give him a year or two in the Premier League.

Fulham have been mentioned this week by sources like TeamTalk, using the logic that their new manager Alvaro Arbeloa has a long Madrid history with Carvajal, and was managing him as recently as last season when Arbeloa took over as caretaker boss at the Bernabeu.

The Whites are one of the favourites for relegation after a bad start to the season under Arbeloa, and are just the sort of side who could end up making a panic move for a big name like Carvajal. And we're were for it.



https://www.caughtoffside.com/2026/09/07/fulham-bid-champions-league-winner-full-back/

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Chelsea explored move for Fulham midfielder Berge
Chelsea showed late interest in Fulham's Sander Berge as they attempted to strengthen their midfield options before Enzo Fernandez's departure.

The Blues intended to sign a central midfielder in the closing days of the summer transfer window as they prepared for Fernandez to join Manchester City.

However, Chelsea's search ended in disappointment as they sold Fernandez for £125m without signing a replacement.

It is understood Norway international Berge was among the options explored by Chelsea during the final stages of the window, though they did not make a formal bid and Fulham considered the 28-year-old not for sale.

Since his arrival from Burnley in 2023, Berge has become a key player for the Cottagers, making 78 appearances.

In the end, Chelsea focused their efforts on Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara and Roma's Manu Kone on deadline day.

They believed they had struck a deal to sign Camara for £47m during the closing hours of the window but that collapsed minutes before the deadline.

Reports also suggested Chelsea made an approach for Everton midfielder James Garner on deadline day - but Toffees manager David Moyes has refuted that.

Signing a new central midfielder in the January transfer window is likely to be a priority for Chelsea given their frustrations last month, with Bournemouth's Alex Scott among their long-term targets.

Chelsea's need for a new midfielder was demonstrated in Sunday's loss to Arsenal as manager Xabi Alonso finished the match with right-backs Reece James and Malo Gusto in the centre of the pitch.

There is hope, however, that Moises Caicedo will return from the injury that caused him to miss the Emirates Stadium defeat in time for Saturday's home game against Hull (15:00 BST).



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cgrvx1jxrv0o

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Sani signs

The Club is delighted to announce the signing of Jose Sani.

The striker, who has impressed on trial during the summer, will link up with our Under-21s side.

"It feels great to sign for Fulham," he told fulhamfc.com. "This is a moment I've been working towards for my whole career and I'm just happy to have it all signed and sealed.

"This is special for me and my family. Being at a special club, knowing I've climbed up lots of steps to be here, it's a proud moment for me."

Originally from Cardiff, Sani's journey to a professional contract has been a unique one. A productive spell in non-league has led to Sani earning a first professional deal.

Having moved to Berkshire from South Wales aged 14, Sani joined Bracknell Town in 2020. Moves to Sandhurst Town and Knaphill followed, where the striker bagged 40 goals across two seasons.

He continued to climb the ladder with Marlow Town and then moved to Hayes & Yeading towards the end of 2024.

Last season, he began the campaign with Hampshire-based side Hartley Wintney in the Isthmian League South Central Division.

17 goal contributions - 10 goals and seven assists - in 12 games saw him step up a level for the second half of the campaign. He swapped Hampshire for Hertfordshire, joining Berkhamsted.

With seven goals and eight assists in 23 games, Sani helped the Comrades to the Play-Offs. They were beaten in the Semi-Finals by eventual winners Farnham Town.

The striker came in on trial in July and flew out to Portugal for our pre-season camp. A brace in a 5-2 win over Gil Vicente U23s was the perfect conclusion to the tour for the youngster.

Back in England, Sani would get further opportunities to impress in pre-season. He didn't disappoint as goals against Hampton & Richmond and Cardiff U21s followed.

Sani has played four competitive games as a trialist. He levelled the scoring in our thrilling 4-3 win over Burnley U21s, before netting an early header in our Premier League International Cup opener against Borussia Dortmund.

But arguably his most complete performance came against Newcastle U21s last time out.

Excellent close control and hold up play saw the striker play a big role in our second goal, before registering a second half assist for Jayden Quashie. He then arrowed a low strike into the bottom corner late on to take his goal contributions tally to four in four games.

Our U21s travel to Braintree Town tomorrow evening, where Sani will be hoping to continue his form. Kick-off at Cressing Road is at 7:30pm.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/september/07/sani-signs/

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Exclusive Czech legend: I rejected Fulham in 2001 as club is not big enough for me
Jan Koller revealed that he rebuffed Fulham's advances in the same summer Edwin Van der Sar left Juve for Craven Cottage because the club wasn't big enough for him.

Although the 6ft 7ins Czech juggernaut was the subject of an enticing offer from the Cottagers and was eager to join them, Champions League giants Borussia Dortmund, who had won Ol Big Ears four years previously, hijacked the deal.

At the time he claimed that the opportunity to play in Europe's premier competition flipped the script.

And it paid off as Koller spearheaded Dortmund's Bundesliga win in 2002.

Now 25 years on, Koller told Capital Football that he'd only have come to England for one of the big boys.

He said: "I wanted to play in England and before going to Dortmund I had a call to make between them and Fulham.

"But Dortmund or Fulham (he gesticulates with his hand, pointing to the top when referring to Dortmund).... The Germans are higher.

"If it had been Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool I may have come to England...

"That's why I picked Germany and Borussia Dortmund."

Without Koller, the newly-promoted west Londoners were unable to find goalscoring momentum that season as they averaged less than a goal per match, scoring 'only' 36 times in 38 outings.

Malbranque, Hayles and Saha were their topscorers, with eight strikes apiece while Koller went on to locate the onion bag 79 times in 184 appearances for die Schwarzgelben.



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/exclusive-czech-legend-i-rejected-fulham-in-2001-as-club-is-not-big-enough-for-me

[WhiteJC]

Dani Carvajal offered to Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City
Fulham, Liverpool, and Manchester City have been offered the chance to sign former Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal.

Dani Carvajal has been offered to Fulham, Liverpool, and Manchester City as the former Real Madrid captain considers his options as a free agent. According to TEAMtalk, intermediaries have approached the three Premier League clubs regarding a potential move for the 34-year-old right-back.

Carvajal has been without a club since leaving Real Madrid this summer, meaning he can complete a transfer outside the traditional window if an agreement is reached. The Spaniard spent 13 years at Real Madrid after re-joining them from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, winning 26 major honours including six Champions League titles.

The former Spanish international is keen to continue playing and is currently assessing several possibilities. Clubs in Spain, MLS, the Saudi Pro League, and elsewhere in Europe have reportedly expressed interest in the veteran defender.

Free agency makes him an attractive option for clubs seeking experienced defensive cover. Though 34, the veteran full-back's decade-plus at Europe's elite could prove valuable as a short-term option.

Why all three clubs could make a move for Carvajal
Liverpool are one of the clubs to have been presented with the opportunity. Andoni Iraola already has Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley as right-back options, although neither has completely established himself as the undisputed first choice. Bradley's injury absence leaves the Reds vulnerable at right-back, making a proven veteran like Carvajal a practical fit.

Manchester City have similarly been offered the chance to sign the Spaniard. Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes have been among the options used at right-back, while Enzo Maresca can also rely on centre-backs in the position. However, they are yet to successfully replace Kyle Walker, and Carvajal could be a solid short-term fix.

The Cottagers are believed to have been approached over a possible deal, while former Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa is now working at the West London club. Arbeloa's presence at Craven Cottage strengthens Fulham's appeal, offering Carvajal a known ally.

Fulham currently have Kenny Tete and Timothy Castagne as their principal right-back options, meaning Carvajal could provide a significant injection of experience.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/09/07/dani-carvajal-offered-to-fulham-liverpool-manchester-city/

[St Eve]

Interesting situation with Larson

[the nutflush]

Why would we want an even slower and older right back????

[Roberty]

Same reason we had Bobby Moore - he will walk to the right spot and wait, not run around and be out of position,

Same with Berbatov - best walking footballer in the world
Same with Giorgos Karagounis not the fastest by the time he came to CC but great vision and skill

[hovewhite]

Same reason we had Bobby Moore - he will walk to the right spot and wait, not run around and be out of position,

Same with Berbatov - best walking footballer in the world
Same with Giorgos Karagounis not the fastest by the time he came to CC but great vision and skill

all three players mentioned pure class and nous.

[sunburywhite]

Same reason we had Bobby Moore - he will walk to the right spot and wait, not run around and be out of position,

Same with Berbatov - best walking footballer in the world
Same with Giorgos Karagounis not the fastest by the time he came to CC but great vision and skill

Karagounis is one of my all time favourite players. So clever even though he was slower, his brain was still sharp