Thursday Fulham Stuff - 20/06/19...

[WhiteJC]

Report suggests Inter Milan chief watched Tottenham target Ryan Sessegnon in action

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a £35 million move for the Fulham youngster.

It is clear that one of Tottenham Hotspur's transfer targets for the summer is Ryan Sessegnon. As recently reported by The Sun, the Champions League finalists are even willing to sell Danny Rose as a consequence. The same report mentioned an apparent £35 million fee being quoted for the Fulham man.

But Tottenham might want to move fast if they do want the player, as they are about to receive an Italian rivalry.

According to Tuttosport, Inter Milan technical director Piero Ausilio was in attendance for England under-21s' clash with France last night. The player he was keeping an eye on was reportedly Sessegnon.

Inter Milan are now managed by former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and it could be the Italian took notice of the talented Englishman during his time in South West London.

Sessegnon, who did not have his best game as England lost to France in the under-21 clash, has been linked with a move to Tottenham for over a year now.

Last summer, as reported by The Times, Tottenham had a £25 million offer for the player rejected. Sessegnon and Fulham went on to suffer relegation from the Premier League and Tottenham will hope they can snap him up on this occasion.

But with Inter now lurking, Tottenham might need to speed things up or risk missing out.



https://tbrfootball.com/report-suggests-inter-milan-chief-watched-tottenham-target-ryan-sessegnon-in-action/

[WhiteJC]

Transfer Focus: Leeds' links with Drameh shows how attractive Bielsa has made the club

According to reports from SportBible, Leeds United are eying up a move to sign Fulham youngster Cody Drameh.

The 17-year-old is one of the highest rated prospects at Craven Cottage, but he is the latest youngster to consider his future at the London club after Harvey Elliott and Ryan Sessegnon have been linked with moves away.

In demand

Last week it was reported by Sky Sports (June 13, 09:21 AM) that Drameh was on his way to Germany to sign for Europa League semi-finalists Eintracht Frankfurt, but now Leeds have joined the race for his signature.

If he is set on leaving Craven Cottage then there shouldn't be a shortage of suitors. He is one of the most talented youngsters at Fulham and great things are expected of him over the next few years.

Bielsa's pull

Ever since Jadon Sancho burst onto the scene for Borussia Dortmund, the trend of young British players moving to Germany has grown and grown with a number of players heading to the Bundesliga either on loan or permanently.

Germany is now seen as the land of opportunity for young footballers and Drameh looked set to move to mainland Europe until Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds came calling.

The Argentine has made Elland Road just as lucrative a destination than any German club due to Bielsa's masterful handling of young players. In this past 12 months, we have seen Jamie Shackleton and Jack Clarke go from relative unknowns to a couple of the brightest young prospects in the country.

The 63-year-old's tendency for bringing out the best in young players is unmatched by a lot of managers throughout Europe. Drameh may have realised this and could deny himself a move to the Bundesliga in order to play under one of the greatest footballing minds the world has ever seen.



https://www.footballfancast.com/championship/leeds/transfer-focus-leeds-links-with-drameh-shows-how-attractive-bielsa-has-made-the-club

[WhiteJC]

Heartbreak For Sess' Young Lions

Ryan Sessegnon put in a good shift but was ultimately left disappointed as England Under-21s' European Championship opener ended in a late defeat by France.

England started well and Sessegnon almost fashioned the opener after quarter of an hour when his cross was turned onto the post by defender Ibrahima Konate.

But it was the French who had the best early chance when Young Lions captain Jake Clarke-Salter was harshly penalised for handball in the box.

Another Fulham Academy graduate took responsibility for the spot-kick, but Moussa Dembélé's effort from 12 yards was telegraphed by Dean Henderson who made a fine save.

England capitalised early in the second half when Phil Foden went on a marvellous solo run before finishing coolly.

Sessegnon then did brilliantly to win the ball from a France defender deep in his own half to start the move which looked to have ended with a first Under-21 goal for the 19-year-old. But as the ball ricocheted off him to Dominic Solanke, it transpired that Bournemouth's striker was offside, rendering Sessegnon's finish from his subsequent cross redundant.

That proved to be pivotal, as Hamza Choudhury was then sent off – after a VAR consultation – for a wild lunge in the penalty area. Houssem Aouar was tasked with this one but it was the same outcome as he smacked the post.

Despite England holding a slender lead with 10 men, manager Aidy Boothroyd made the call to replace Sessegnon – who had moved to operate a false nine position after Solanke was withdrawn – and Demarai Gray with centre forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tammy Abraham with 15 minutes left to play.

The Young Lions defended resolutely, with Henderson in fine form in goal, but Jonathan Ikone squeezed home an equaliser with a minute of the 90 left to play, before Aaron Wan-Bissaka smashed in a devastating own goal deep into stoppage time.

With France now in control of the group, England's best chance of qualifying for the Semi-Finals may be as the best runner-up across the three groups.

"We know it's not over, we know we can still do better, and effectively we have to win our next two games now," Sessegnon said afterwards. "That's the focus, try and win them comfortably and not concede, and hopefully that will be enough for us to go through.

"I think my personal performance was okay, but I think I could do much better with all parts of my game; on the ball, final ball in the final third. But I'm always trying to improve and hopefully I can do better next game."



http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2019/june/19/heartbreak-for-ryan-sessegnon-young-lions

[WhiteJC]

Aleksandar Mitrovic resale could provide Newcastle United with 'knock on' transfer market boost - as Serbian international midfielder is eyed
The imminent sale of former striker Aleksandar Mitrovic by recently relegated Fulham could be set to hand Newcastle United a summer transfer boost - whether Rafa Benitez remains on Tyneside or not.

Mitrovic was offloaded by United last summer for an undisclosed fee, with potential to rise to £27million, as per reports at the time.

And while some caveats of that deal may well have been chalked off with the Craven Cottage outfit's relegation from the Premier League, it's not stopped Scott Parker's men attempting to reignite their interest in Dwight Gayle.

And according to reports, should they recoup a hefty sum for Serbia international frontman Mitrovic, who is interesting Bayer Leverkusen and Real Betis, as well as being linked to the likes of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, Gayle is at the top of their wishlist this summer.

While United value Gayle in the region of £20million, it is thought an offer of around £15million might well be enough to sign the 28-year-old, who is currently away on a summer break with his family before his planned return to United pre-season training on Thursday, July 4.

Despite sending him out on loan last season to West Brom, Benitez is a fan of former Crystal Palace striker Gayle. He is a player the Spaniard would like to keep at St James's Park in an ideal world, should he stay, but budgetary constraints would likely mean Gayle is moved on in order to add further quality in the forward areas.

New Baggies boss Slaven Bilic would also like to see Gayle, also linked with Midlands rivals Aston Villa this summer, return to the Hawthorns, where he contributed 24 goals in an ultimately doomed Premier League promotion attempt.

But with West Brom cutting their cloth to suit, facing up to a second season in the second tier, it's unlikely they will be able to afford players such as Gayle, who commands a wage of more than £50,000 a week at United, having been tempted to drop a division last summer with a pay rise.

Meanwhile, United have been linked with a move for Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Nemanja Gudelj.

Portuguese publication O Jogo state United face competition from Sporting, where the 27-year-old spent last season on loan, as well as Betis, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray.



https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/aleksandar-mitrovic-resale-could-provide-newcastle-united-with-knock-on-transfer-market-boost-as-serbian-international-midfielder-is-eyed-169279

[WhiteJC]

Fixtures Preview

I always consider the day that the fixtures are released is the first day of the new season. Getting to see who we face first, where we will be on boxing day, when we face our local rivals and getting to start planning those all important away days is all part of being a football fan. Looking at the fixtures for the first time is when the excitement starts to build for me.

The season kicks off with a single game on Friday, 2nd August, with the rest of the fixtures spread over the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of that weekend. The last time we played in the opening fixture of a league was when we stunned Newcastle United at Craven Cottage thanks to Matt Smith's header and THAT piece of skill from Denis Odoi. Scenes.

After the way we limped our way to relegation last season, Fulham need a strong start to the new campaign so I'm hoping to avoid any of the new promoted sides, as they'll be massively pumped up, or any of the sides who failed to make it through the play-offs last season. I don't have a preference over being at home or away on day one, but hopefully we will be at home for the final game.

So what do we have to look forward to next season? What grounds that we haven't been to in a while will we be returning to?

Luton – This is the one that a lot of Championship fans have on their list of away days. Fulham haven't faced Luton in the league since 1999 when we beat them 4-0 in the old Division Two. Luton's 10,356 Kenilworth Road will host Championship football for the first time in 12 years and Fulham fans will have to travel just the 46miles or so outside London to reach it.

Stoke City – Many of Fulham fans have bad memories of Stoke, given that it was a defeat there that sealed our relegation in back in 2014. With them getting relegated in our recent promotion year, it has been five seasons since we have faced them in the league. We haven't beaten Stoke away from home since Chris Baird's spectacular double back in 2010, so hopefully we can right that wrong next season when we visit the Bet365 Stadium.

Charlton Athletic – We will be facing Charlton for the first time since the 2015/16 season. It will see the return of the Fulham-Charlton boat trip when we visit them at The Valley, a stadium where we haven't lost since 2004 when we faced them in the Premier League. The Addicts have already had a been of a turbulent summer with Lee Bowyer's dramatic U-turn on his contract extension seeing him stay as boss just one day after the club announced that he would be leaving.

London Derbies – We will be visiting four other London teams next season, including the already mentioned Charlton Athletic. We will be back at QPR and Brentford for some big West London derbies, while we face a return to the Den to face Millwall. In our last Championship campaign we didn't lose a game to any of those three, although we could only draw to both QPR and Brentford at home in a couple of very feisty games. It will be good to have those games back for a season at least.

Furthest Away day – Is it really a football season if you don't face a trip the whole way to the North East. This time it's a visit to the Riverside to face Middlesbrough. We normally don't do very well up their but last time was that crazy game when Olly Norwood scored a last minute penalty to win after we had been battered all game! Good memories.

There is a lot more to look forward to, but hopefully this short preview will be enough to wet the appetite for now. The fixtures will be released on Thursday morning at 9am on the Fulham website.

#COYW



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2019/06/fixtures-preview/

[WhiteJC]

DoF held 'very positive' meeting with Fulham player's agent – Playing 'leaning' towards specific country

Looking at central midfielders following their interest in Jordan Veretout, Napoli have turned their attention to the Premier League, according to CalcioNapoli24.

According to the website, Cristiano Giuntoli, Napoli's director of football, held a meeting with Jean-Michael Seri's agent, whose client is currently contracted to Fulham.

Bought from OGC Nice, the Ivory Coast international failed to help the Cottagers avoid relegation back down to the Championship, and after just one year in England he's looking for a way out.

The encounter between Giuntoli and Seri's agent is said to have taken place a few days ago, and the tête-à-tête is thought to have been 'very positive'.

With that first step out of the way, CalcioNapoli24 go on to explain the Serie A club now need to reach an agreement with Fulham themselves.

Whether those negotiations go as smoothly as the ones with the Ivorian's agent did, that remains to be seen.

This story backs up claims appearing in France on Tuesday that Seri was 'leaning' towards a move to Italy.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/dof-held-positive-meeting-fulham-players-agent-playing-leaning-towards-specific-country/

[WhiteJC]

Inter Sporting Director Ausilio Watches Sessegnon & Tousart At Under-21 Euros

Piero Ausilio observed two young talents in particular when he attended last night's under-21 match between England and France, according to Tuttosport.

France secured a last-gasp win in their opening fixture at this summer's European Championships while Inter's sporting director watched on from the stands.

Fulham left-back Ryan Sessegnon and Lyon midfielder Lucas Tousart attracted Ausilio's interest, sparking rumours Inter could make approaches for them.

"Sessegnon is a similar profile to Federico Chiesa in terms of age and could be the right player for Inter as the club think big again," the Turin-based paper reported.

The 19-year-old has only one year left on his contract with Fulham, who were relegated from the Premier League last season.

Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are all interested, but Inter could join the race too as they seek a replacement for Ivan Perisic.

Beppe Marotta has told the Croatian's agent Nelio Lucas he will only be sold for €45 million, at which point the Nerazzurri would have a hole to fill in their starting XI.

Tousart has been nicknamed 'the white Kante' for his ability to win the ball back but Lyon would want at least €40-45 million before considering a sale.

Ausilio may also have kept an eye on Angers midfielder Jeff Reine-Adelaide, who impressed in midfield for France at the Dino Manuzzi stadium.



https://sempreinter.com/2019/06/19/inter-sporting-director-ausilio-watches-sessegnon-tousart-at-under-21-euros/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham Fans Ready For The Best Day Of The Close Season But Who Do You Want First Game?

This time last year, the excitement levels were building.

Fulham after what seemed like a long exile, had, courtesy of the Play-Off Final, secured a return to top-flight football.

A year later the expectation that the club could do more than just avoid relegation and finish mid-table after a huge splurge in the transfer market, are dashed.

A calamitous season in which wins were scarce and we struggled to keep a clean sheet ended with the club being relegated to the Championship, a bitter pill to swallow.

But, as has to be the case, it is a time to regroup, refocus and hope under the managerial acumen of Scott Parker we can make an instant return to the Premier League via promotion from the Championship.

Tomorrow, the fixtures for the coming season will be published. We'll know exactly who we'll start our campaign against and what dates, subject to alteration, we'll need to write in our diaries if such things still exist in what has fast become an electronic age.

Personally, I'd fancy a home fixture to start the season with, but who against I'm unsure.

Who would you like to see Fulham face on the opening day of the 2019 / 2020 season?

Please feel free to drop the name of the team in the comment facility beneath this article.



https://fulham.vitalfootball.co.uk/fulham-fans-ready-for-the-best-day-of-the-close-season-but-who-do-you-want-first-game/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham player flew out yesterday to hold transfer talks

Milliyet claim Fulham goalkeeper Fabri arrived in Turkey yesterday to hold transfer talks.

It's reported the 31 year old goalkeeper is looking to leave Fulham this summer and he travelled to Turkey to have discussions with interested clubs.

After the club's relegation from the Premier League, the Spanish goalkeeper is looking to leave Craven Cottage and the Super Lig could be his next destination.

Fabri has been strongly linked with a return to Besiktas if Loris Karius leaves the club in this window and he's also reportedly on the radar of Fenerbahce, who are in need of a new goalkeeper.

Karius could return to Liverpool before the start of next season and he's been linked with a move to Germany, with AS Roma interest also reported.

Fabri started the first two Premier League games last season but didn't make a single appearance for Fulham after that.

He is under contract with the London club until June 2021.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-player-flew-yesterday-holds-transfer-talks/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham said to have turned down €20m + bonuses offer

Real Betis are on the verge of signing Borja Iglesias from Espanyol for €28m. That's the forward's release clause so it's a straightforward move for the verdiblancos.

They had been linked with Aleksandar Mitrovic in recent days, but it appears Iglesias just made more sense for Betis, and they weren't prepared to spend as much on the Fulham player.

It's claimed that Betis interest had been genuine, and it got so serious they submitted an offer to the Championship club. Fulham knocked back that bid, report Estadio Deportivo, which was worth €20m guaranteed and more when bonuses are included.

Estadio also claim that Mitrovic earns €4m a season at Fulham, after tax, and the insinuation is Iglesias will be on less once his Betis move is finalised.

The Espanyol player already being established in Spanish football was another plus for the Seville club, who will be aware that signing Mitrovic would be more of a gamble.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-said-turned-e20m-bonuses-offer/

[WhiteJC]

Agent of Fulham man meets with key figure ahead of potential exit

Napoli director of football Cristiano Guintoli has met with the agent of Fulham midfielder Jean-Michael Seri, Italian outlet CalcioNapoli24 have reported.

Seri joined Fulham from French side Nice for a fee reported by the Daily Mail to be £18million last summer, with the midfielder going onto make 34 appearances in all competitions during his debut campaign at Craven Cottage scoring once as the London based side were relegated back to the Championship after just a single season in the top flight.

Despite that disappointment for Fulham, Seri himself appears to have impressed, with Guintoli reportedly holding 'very positive' talks about a move to Napoli for the midfielder.

The next step now appears to be agreeing a deal with Fulham for the 27-year-old, but with Seri having signed a four year deal with the option of a further 12 months last summer, Fulham have some room for negotiation over the fee.

Napoli finished second in Serie A for the third time in four years last season, behind perennial champions Juventus, ensuring that they have automatically qualified for the group stages of next season's Champions League.

The verdict
It looks as though it will be difficult for Fulham to keep hold of Seri this summer.

Napoli should have the financial strength available to afford Fulham's asking price for the midfielder, and the appeal of top flight and Champions League football should be more than enough to tempt Seri to make the move to Naples.

This will be a blow for Fulham to lose a player such as this, but it is something they may have to get used to following their relegation, and the club will have to spend whatever funds they receive from player sales wisely ahead of next season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/agent-of-fulham-man-meets-with-key-figure-ahead-of-potential-exit/

[WhiteJC]

Inter Could Replace Ivan Perisic With England Under-21 Star Sessegnon

Inter are considering a move for Fulham and England midfielder Ryan Sessegnon as they plan for life after Ivan Perisic, according to Tuttosport.

Perisic could become a useful player under Antonio Conte if he stays but the Croatian remains keen on a move to the Premier League.

Piero Ausilio watched Sessegnon play for England last night as they lost to France in their opening fixture at the UEFA European Under-21 Championships.

"Beppe Marotta has been clear with Perisic's agent Nelio Lucas," Tuttosport reported this morning.

"If they want to leave Inter will need a €45 million offer, at which point the club would have a hole to fill in their starting XI."

Sessegnon is considered a similar profile to Federico Chiesa in terms of age as Inter look for a high-profile signing in attack.

The 19-year-old has one year left on his current deal with Fulham and also has interest from Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

Inter would seriously consider joining the race if they were to find a buyer for Perisic.



https://sempreinter.com/2019/06/19/inter-could-replace-ivan-perisic-with-england-under-21-star-sessegnon/

[WhiteJC]

Napoli meet with Jean Michael Seri representatives with relegated Fulham 'willing to sell' for HALF the £25m they bought him for last summer

    Fulham paid £25million to bring Jean Michael Seri in from Nice a year ago
    But they are now reportedly willing to offload him for just half the price
    Seri struggled as Fulham were relegated back to the Championship

Fulham are ready to offload Jean Michael Seri, and are reportedly willing to sell the midfielder for just half of what they paid Nice last summer.

The Ivorian was was seen as a coup for the west London club when he signed for £18million after their Premier League promotion last July.

But after a disastrous return to the top-flight ended with relegation back to the Championship, Fulham will now look to cash in.


Fulham are reportedly ready to offload Jean Michael Seri after just one season at the club

A move to Italy could be on the cards, with Napoli holding 'positive' meetings with Seri's representatives, according to Calcionapoli24.com.

Sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli reportedly contacted the Ivorian's agent and the player is believed to be open to the idea of playing in Naples next season.

Having splashed out £25m for the 27-year-old nearly 12 months ago, Fulham will be happy to accept £13m to get him off the books.

Both Milan clubs, Inter and AC, are also said to be monitoring developments.

Seri made 32 appearances in the Premier League but was unable to prevent Fulham from dropping back down to the Championship.


Relegated side are said to be willing to sell the midfielder for just half of what they paid Nice



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7159411/Napoli-meet-Jean-Michael-Seri-representatives.html

[WhiteJC]

When Ryan Sessegnon became the first player born in this millennium to score a Premier League goal



During his so far short career, Ryan Sessegnon has been no stranger to helping write the history books. On 20th August 2016, he became the first player born in the 2000s to score in the English Football League and, following a stand-out 2017/2018 campaign, he became the first Championship player to ever be nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award. That season, he was a vital component of the Fulham side that earned promotion to the promised land, netting 16 times in the second tier.

Unfortunately for the Cottagers, they struggled in England's top division and were unceremoniously relegated straight back down. However, although Sessegnon was unable to reach his standards of the previous year with just two strikes to his name, he still managed to set a new feat in the Premier League by becoming the first player born in this millennium to find the back of the net, away at Cardiff City on 20th October, according to the Panini Tabloid.

It is hard to think of many other players more deserving of such a record. Since his debut three years ago, Sessegnon has developed into one of the most exciting players in England due to the ease in which he's acclimatised to senior football. His speed, directness and ability on the ball all catch the eye and hint towards a fantastically exciting career, even if he still hasn't found that consistency at Premier League level just yet.

But Sessegnon is one of a number of Premier League players born in the last 19 years that have huge futures ahead of them. Callum Hudson-Odoi is already an England international, whilst Phil Foden's importance to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City squad continues to slowly rise, making eight more Premier League appearances last season than the campaign previous.

Ethan Ampadu and Angel Gomes have already made their Premier League debuts for Chelsea and Manchester United respectively, the latter also featuring for Wales, and Morgan Gibbs-White showed glimpses of his talent for Wolves last season, albeit restricted mainly to featuring from the bench.

These players are amongst the brighter hopes for their respective nations, and with Euro 2020 just around the corner, they have a big year ahead of them. Could a few or perhaps even all of them secure places in the senior squads at next summer's tournament?

he Premier League Panini Tabloid is a special commemorative newspaper sticker collection celebrating the exciting new partnership between the greatest league in the world and the legendary name in football publishing, Panini. As the official collectable licensee to the Premier League, Panini are delighted to bring consumers a new era of collectables and the best collecting experience. See more here: http://bit.ly/PaniniFFCEditorial



https://www.footballfancast.com/championship/fulham/when-ryan-sessegnon-became-the-first-player-born-in-this-millennium-to-score-a-premier-league-goal

[WhiteJC]

'Awful again': Lots of Tottenham fans tear into 'questionable' target that doesn't 'warrant the big money wanted for him'

Tottenham Hotspur fans were able to witness Ryan Sessegnon in action on Tuesday night, however, to say many of them were pleased on Twitter with what he was able to produce on the pitch would not necessarily be correct.

The versatile Fulham man was in action for England's Under-21 side against France when they blew a one-goal lead in the final moments of the game to lose 2-1.

The 19-year-old started the game for the Young Lions and looked to make an impact early on when he hit the crossbar inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour, however, he was substituted late into the second half with Dominic Calvert-Lewin coming on in his place.

Tottenham are thought to have been interested in Sessegnon for a very long time and rumours about a move to the north London have continued to further intensify over the summer following Fulham's relegation from the Premier League.

The teenager is thought to have told the west London outfit that he wants to move to Spurs this summer (Guardian), whilst The Sun have claimed recently that it could cost Mauricio Pochettino's side around £35million to take him away from Craven Cottage.

And, going by the reactions of fans on Twitter following the defeat, it would appear many of them are not convinced that Sessegnon is worth that amount of money, whilst others stated that they did not see anything worth fussing over in regards to the young man.



https://spurs.vitalfootball.co.uk/awful-again-lots-of-tottenham-fans-tear-into-questionable-target-that-doesnt-warrant-the-big-money-wanted-for-him/

[WhiteJC]

'This is the right move for now' – Fulham turn down big-money bid for 24-y/o: Opinion

Fulham have reportedly turned down an offer of €20million plus bonuses from bonuses from Spanish side Real Betis for striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, Spanish outlet Estadio Deportivo have reported.

Mitrovic initially joined Fulham on loan from Newcastle on deadline day in the 2018 winter transfer window, and went onto play a key role in the London side's promotion to the Premier League that season.

That summer he then signed for the Cottagers on a permanent deal believed to be worth £22million, potentially rising to £27million.

The Serbian striker top scored for Fulham in the Premier League last season, finding the net 11 times in 37 league appearances, but he was unable to prevent the side suffering an immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Following the rejection of Betis' offer, the Spanish outfit have now signed Borja Iglesias from La Liga rivals Espanyol as an alternative to Mitrovic.

As well as Real Betis, Premier League side West Ham are also interested in Mitrovic, according to The Daily Star.

There are still four years remaining on Mitrovic's current contract at Craven Cottage meaning they are in a strong position to negotiate over Mitrovic.

So were Fulham right to reject Betis' bid for Mitrovic?

We put that question to some of our Football League World writers...

Ben Lang

"I think this is the right move for now, but Fulham should probably look to cash in on Mitrovic eventually.

"There were rumours swirling around in January linking him with a £50million move, so I can see why the club are hesitant to accept an offer that is much lower.

"Mitrovic is unlikely to want to ply his trade in the Championship next season given his Premier League record, and Fulham should not be looking to keep players at Craven Cottage who do not want to be there.

"I can see Fulham pushing Betis slightly higher on this offer in order to cut their losses, but I think Scott Parker will be fully expecting to be without Mitrovic heading into next season."

Toby Wilding

"I think this is a good move from Fulham.

"Mitrovic's contract situation means that they are in a strong position to negotiate any move for the Serbian striker, and given how important he was to them the last time they were in the division, you can see why they are so keen to keep hold of him.

"Having seemingly seen off Betis, Fulham will be hoping that that stance may have the same impact with West Ham's reported approach for the striker, or get a significantly larger fee out of the Premier League side for Mitrovic at the very least.

"Even so, given Mitrovic's impressive record in a struggling Fulham side last season, you wouldn't be too surprised if there was more top flight interest to emerge in the striker between now and the end of the season."

George Brooks

"I think this is probably a sensible move from Fulham. It's not like they won't get other offers for the striker this summer, so there's no need to rush into a decision.

"Fulham were always going to struggle to keep hold of Mitrovic following their relegation from the Premier League last season, but if he is to leave the Craven Cottage this summer, they should hold out for as much money for him as possible.

"Fulham have set an asking price of around £30million for Mitrovic and that seems pretty reasonable for a player of his quality, who still has four years left on his contract. They should not be prepared to sell him for less.

"Mitrovic is an outstanding striker and has all the attributes to be the top goalscorer in the Championship next season, but I'm not sure he'd be prepared to step down to the second tier..

"It will be a blow for Fulham to lose him, but £30million would allow Scott Parker to find a good replacement and considerably strengthen his squad in other areas, as he looks to build a team that can win promotion next season."



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/this-is-the-right-move-for-now-fulham-turn-down-big-money-bid-for-24-y-o-opinion/