Thursday Fulham Stuff (25/05/17)...

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Fulham pip Feyenoord and agree pre-contract with exciting Panama ace Ricardo Avila
The Cottagers are hopeful of wrapping up a loan deal for KAA Gent man

Fulham hope to wrap up a deal for Panama international star Ricardo Avila for next season.

The midfielder, who plays for Belgian side KAA Gent, was spotted by Fulham officials in a tournament which included sides from France and the Netherlands.

He spoke to SomoLaSele.com about the move.

"I signed a pre-contract on Sunday, but nothing is official," said Avila.

"I feel very good. My family are very happy. Fulham told me I am very good player, I'm very confident.

"Feyenoord, they were looking at me and asking for me, they met with my agent but we did not make an agreement.

"The Fulham team is great, I would like to play there, but what I signed is an official contract, it's a pre-contract."


Panama's footballer Ricardo Avila and Honduran player Darixon Vuelto vie for the ball during their Under 20 Concacaf qualifying football match (Photo credit: EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP/Getty Images)

It seems that Avila's move will be concluded depending on the future of a Gent team-mate. If that player does not depart, Avila will move to Fulham on loan.

The 20-year-old, who came through the ranks at Chorillio, signed the pre-contract deal with the Cottagers on Sunday and hopes to have it finalised soon.



http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulham-pip-feyenoord-agree-pre-13085504

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50% off Replica Shirts

Fulham fans can now enjoy 50% off all 2016/17 Home and Away Shirts!

Shop today with adult shirts priced at just £22.49, junior shirts £17.49 and mini-kits reduced to £19.99.

With this great offer, why not complete the look with both Home and Away Shorts and Socks also reduced!

This discount is available to enjoy now across all sizes*, so be sure to secure your shirts today and represent the Whites this summer.

Win a Home Shirt signed by Slaviša Jokanović!

Supporters who purchase a Home Shirt over the Bank Holiday weekend will be entered into our draw to win a 2016/17 Home Shirt signed exclusively by Head Coach Slaviša Jokanović!

This competition is available to online purchasers only, and up ten winners will be contacted after Monday 29th May.

Happy shopping - COYW!

*Subject to availability. Valid for purchases between 24th May to Midnight 29th May




http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2017/may/24/50-percent-off-home-and-away-shirts

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THE PREMIER LEAGUE OUTCAST WHOSE FINAL CHANCE COULD BE AT FULHAM

Play-off heartbreak at the hands of Reading marked a disappointing end to the season for Fulham, who are now consigned to another season in the Sky Bet Championship.

Things could be about to get even worse for the Cottagers however, with Premier League clubs sniffing around a number of their prized assets.

Tom Cairney has been linked with a move to Newcastle, and teenage sensation Ryan Sessegnon is reported to be attracting interest from Manchester United and Liverpool.

Both players will be difficult to replace, and 16 year old Sessegnon ability and potential will be a particular loss to the side from west London.

Born in the year 2000, the player struck 7 goals and recorded 3 assists from the left back berth in only 20 league and cup starts.

Replacing such a prestigious young talent will give manager Slavisa Jokanovic a real headache this summer.

One player who once showed the immense potential currently exhibited by Sessegnon never quite made the grade, but at the age of 24, still has time to reach the lofty heights he was once touted to achieve.

Zeki Fryers made his way through the Manchester United academy, before a contentious move to Tottenham via Standard Liege materialised.

A move to Crystal Palace followed, and loan moves to Rotherham and Ipswich failed to put the defender's career back on track.

At Fulham, perhaps Fryers could rediscover the form that made him such a hot prospect in Manchester during his teenage years.

The player is set to be released on a free transfer this summer, and Jokanovic may feel he has what it takes to finally draw the best from the player.

Giving the Englishman one final chance to prove himself is a low risk alternative to a big money swoop for a Sessegnon replacement, and this cost effective option may appeal to those in charge at Craven Cottage.

If the manager can get Fryers back on track, Fulham could have a real gem on their hands.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-premier-league-outcast-whose-final-chance-could-be-at-fulham/

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Liverpool in talks to sign Sessegnon

Liverpool have opened talks to sign Fulham sensation Ryan Sessegnon this summer, according to a reliable journalist.

Sky Sports Italy correspondent Gianluca Di Marzio, who is renowned as a transfer expert, has claimed on his personal website that the Premier League giants have begun negotiations to prise the left-back from Craven Cottage.

Di Marzio reports that Liverpool are keen to close a deal for Sessegnon, who is regarded as one of the outstanding young players in English football.

But he states that it is not Sessegnon, but Monaco's Benjamin Mendy who is the Premier League club's first choice to reinforce the left side of their defence.

The signing of Mendy, 22, is regarded as a more complicated one given that he is a France international and has had an outstanding season for newly-crowned French champions and Champions League semi-finalists Monaco.

There is a possibility that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could sign two new left-backs, as Alberto Moreno is widely expected to leave the club this summer and first-choice for 2016-17 James Milner has spent most of his career in midfield.

Sessegnon, who turned 17 last week, is regarded as the next Gareth Bale given the impact he has made since entering the professional game as a flying left-back, the position where the Real Madrid star began his career.

The teenager is so highly rated among his peers that he was last week named in the PFA Championship team of the season despite his tender age.

Sessegnon, who can play at both left-back and on the left wing, has made elite clubs sit up and take notice with his precocious Championship displays this season.

He has scored seven goals from 30 first-team matches in the campaign and also weighed in with four assists, remarkable tallies for a player who is not only foremost a defender but also one who is so young.




https://thisisfutbol.com/2017/05/blogs/premier-league/liverpool-in-talks-to-sign-sessegnon/

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Rangers reportedly would let Rob Kiernan leave for free - months after £2m Fulham interest

Fulham were reportedly willing to pay a decent sum to sign Rob Kiernan in January - but now Rangers will let him go for nothing.

There are two ways Fulham could react to the news that January target Rob Kiernan will be let go on a free by Rangers this summer, as reported by the Daily Record.

Either they could view making another move for the defender as nothing more than a no-brainer. Or, on the other hand, the fact that Rangers could farm him out for nothing could set off a few alarm bells.

After all, the Daily Mail reports that Fulham were happy to pay £2 million for his services at the turn of the year.

Freebie flop?

Kiernan had long been expected to leave Ibrox this summer, especially after he failed to make any sort of an impact once Pedro Caixinha arrived at the helm in March. The 26-year-old only featured once in the final two months of the season – albeit largely down to injury.

However, during the latter days of Mark Warburton's reign, Kiernan's performances left a lot to be desired. A dreadful 4-1 defeat to Hearts in February hardly convinced supporters that he was worth keeping around beyond the end of the season.

Therefore, despite the fact he has a year remaining on his contract at Ibrox, the cash-strapped club appear so desperate to get him off the books that they won't even ask for a transfer fee.

And this could certainly play into Fulham's hands, especially with loanee Tomas Kalas returning to Chelsea after an impressive campaign at Craven Cottage.

However, the fact that Fulham conceded 17 more goals than promoted duo Brighton and Newcastle United in 2016/17 means they may be a top class centre-back away from fighting for the top two next season.

And is Kiernan really the man to take them to the next level?




http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/05/24/rangers-reportedly-let-rob-kiernan-leave-for-free-months-after-2/

[WhiteJC]

 
The PL striker who would undoubtedly take Fulham to the next level.. But would he step down?

Fulham fans will be absolutely devastated with how their season has finished after a late surge of great form saw them reach the play-offs.

But their season ended in disappointing fashion as a well-drilled Reading side edged them out over two legs to book their place in the final against Huddersfield.

Fulham will be looking to keep their star men this summer, such as Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon, and manager Slavisa Jokanovic will be aiming to bring in a few top quality additions to take Fulham to the next level.

The Cottagers will be keen to get back into the Premier League and in order to achieve this, they need a top striker.

Chris Martin has been hit and miss during his loan spell from Derby and his attitude has certainly put Fulham off buying him permanently.

Therefore, Fulham should be looking at Troy Deeney.

Watford striker Troy Deeney is the club captain and a long and loyal servant to the club but his future is up in the air at the moment after he fell out of favour under Walter Mazzarri.

Watford are undergoing changes behind the scenes and are looking for a new manager so Deeney might look to escape that and view a fresh start.

The 28-year-old is a hardworking and passionate front man who knows where the goal is, especially at Championship level.

The Birmingham-born striker has been linked with West Brom, Leeds and Birmingham so there is no reason why Fulham should not also be in the running for his signature.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/the-pl-striker-who-would-undoubtedly-take-fulham-to-the-next-level-but-would-he-step-down/

[WhiteJC]

 
Five Things to Know About U-20 MNT Attacker Luca de la Torre

After providing the USA with a critical, late equalizer to earn a 3-3 draw against Ecuador in the opening game of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, midfielder Luca de la Torre continues to prove his ability to prove to be a dependable playmaker for the United States.

Here are five things you should know about the U-20 MNT and Fulham midfielder:

SAN DIEGO ROOTS
Before arriving at Craven Cottage, de la Torre was born and raised in San Diego. Growing up, he enjoyed going to the San Diego Zoo, Legoland, Westfield UTC mall, and getting his dose of Mexican food at Roberto's in La Jolla. His favorite San Diego restaurant, however, is Urban Plates, also in La Jolla, a place he most enjoys going with his mother.

SCIENTIST PARENTS
An only child to Juan de la Torre and Anne Bang, de la Torre's parents are smart, to say the least.

Anne, who received her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California-San Diego, is currently the Director of Stem Cell Biology at the Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics of the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. In her role, Dr. Bang leads efforts to develop patient cell-specific and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-based disease models for drug screening and target identification.

Juan, who received his Ph.D. from Universidad Autónoma of Madrid, is currently a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego. The institute is a nonprofit medical research facility that focuses on research and education in the biomedical sciences.

ICE IN HIS VEINS
Before setting a new record for the latest goal scored by a U.S. player at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, de la Torre also found the back of the net in a few other critical Youth National Team moments while donning the red, white and blue.

After the U-20 MNT suffered 1-0 loss to Panama to open the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, the U.S. found itself tied 1-1 with Haiti in their following group game, desperately needing a go-ahead goal to keep their World Cup hopes alive. Just after halftime, de la Torre put the U.S. ahead for good by smashing a deflected corner kick into the back of the net.

Faced with another high-pressure situation in the penalty shootout of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship Final 12 days later, de la Torre nestled his fourth-round attempt home on the way to a 5-3 shootout victory against Honduras and the first U-20 CONCACAF crown in U.S. Soccer history.

BEFORE FULHAM
Including his two seasons spent playing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for Nomads Youth Soccer Club (2011-12) and San Diego Surf (2012-2013), de la Torre also grew up playing for Carmel Valley Sharks and the Carmel Valley Manchester Soccer Club.

When he wasn't at soccer practice, he spent any extra time he had training with his dad, who hails from the Spanish Canary Islands. Growing up in a border city like San Diego, de la Torre also acknowledged the influence his Mexican friends and teammates had on developing his style of play.

CLIMBING THE FULHAM RANKS
Shortly after his freshmen year at Torrey Pines High School, de la Torre made the move to become a professional soccer player, taking his talents to London. By signing with Fulham, de la Torre joined a long lineage of U.S. Men's National Team players that made their way at Craven Cottage, including Clint Dempsey, Carlos Bocanegra and Brian McBride.

In his three seasons in London, de la Torre has passed through the club's youth ranks, moving from U-18's to U-23's. The 2016-17 season provided him with a professional breakthrough, when he made his first-team debut in an early round EFL Cup match on Aug. 9, 2016.

His journey has been closely watched by his Fulham and U-20 U.S. MNT teammate, defender Marlon Fossey, who had to pull out of the U-20 World Cup due to injury.



http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/05/24/18/34/20170524-feat-u20mnt-five-things-to-know-about-luca-de-la-torre