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Saturday Fulham Stuff - 15/08/20...

Started by WhiteJC, August 15, 2020, 08:24:42 AM

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WhiteJC

Everton and Fulham enter transfer battle after Premier League rivals have bid accepted
Everton are interested in re-signing Wigan left-back Antonee Robinson.

Everton have emerged as contenders to sign Wigan left-back Antonee Robinson, reports claim. The US international left Goodison Park in July 2015 but a return could be on the horizon.

Robinson came through Everton's academy but never made a competitive first-team appearance for the Toffees during his 11-year stay.

The 23-year-old eventually signed a three-year contract with Wigan in July 2019 and quickly earned admiring glances from abroad.

The Milton Keynes-born left-back was on the verge of sealing an £11million move to Italian heavyweights AC Milan in January.

But a heart issue detected during his medical scuppered the deal.

Wigan were relegated from the Championship after a 12-point deduction for entering administration came into effect.

And with the club still in administration - the Latics will need to offload players this summer.

The League One side recently accepted Sheffield United's £2million bid for the defender.

But Sky Sports claim Everton's intervention could see Robinson return to Merseyside rather than join Chris Wilder's Yorkshire outfit.

Everton are looking to replace club legend Leighton Baines, who retired after the 2019-20 season, and provide cover for first-choice left-back Lucas Digne.

Newly-promoted Fulham have also registered their interest in Robinson as they look to bolster their defensive options.

"I'm pretty sure I will be leaving, bar anything out the blue happening," Robinson recently told the BBC.

"I'm open to moving to a top-tier club. Whether it ends up being a Premier League team, a Serie A team or a Bundesliga team I don't know yet. That's all in the hands of my agent and who wants me more.

"I'm hoping that I can go to a club now where it's a new challenge, it's a higher standard and most of all I still want to play.

"I haven't come back from all these setbacks to sit on the bench for anyone. I want to come and play and test myself and get better as a player."



https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1322743/Everton-Transfer-News-Antonee-Robinson-Fulham-Sheffield-United-Gossip-Latest

WhiteJC

Former Fulham and MK Dons attacker seals League Two transfer

Grimsby Town have confirmed the signing of former Fulham and MK Dons attacker George Williams on their official club website, bringing him in on a free transfer after his release from Forest Green.

After leaving Forest Green earlier this summer, attacker George Williams has found himself a new club. Grimsby Town have announced the signing of Williams, bringing him in on a free transfer.

Williams has put pen to paper on a two-year contract with Ian Holloway's Mariners, with the option of a further 12 months included in the deal.

Upon the announcement of the signing, Holloway spoke to the club's official website about Williams' arrival. The former QPR and Crystal Palace boss discussed Williams' broken leg injury suffered earlier this summer, adding that he is looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the squad. He said:

"The nasty injury was a break in the fibula. They put a plate in it, which got infected and caused a few complications. But, we have had a look at it, he got fit, played well and scored for them.

"He's a wonderful lad, fantastic ability, fresh as a daisy and he's got a young family who he is moving up straight away. It's fantastic commitment from him and I am absolutely delighted. I hope our fans will enjoy the way he plays, he's full of energy and very creative in that midfield area and I cannot wait to work with him".


Williams, 24, left Forest Green after two years with the club. He joined the team on a free transfer from Fulham in July 2018. Since then, Williams has gone on to play in 50 games across all competitions for the club, scoring nine goals and laying on six assists in the process.

Williams spent time with MK Dons as a youngster before making a move to Fulham. The Welshman notched up 17 appearances for Fulham's senior side, also picking up senior experience in loans with MK Dons and Gillingham.

Grimsby Town fans, are you happy with Williams' arrival? Let us know what you think in the poll at the bottom of the page.




https://the72.co.uk/186479/former-fulham-and-mk-dons-attacker-seals-league-two-transfer/

WhiteJC

Club chief insists no approach for '£1m' star, after links to Burnley, Fulham and others

The Charlton Athletic director of football has insisted he has yet to receive a call from any club about Macauley Bonne – despite speculation linking the Addicks striker with Burnley, Fulham and several others.

The Sun reported last month that Burnley and Fulham, along with Championship sides Norwich City, Cardiff City and Derby County, are interested in Bonne, who is rated at £1 million after Charlton's relegation.

The south London club are also experiencing problems off the pitch.

But, according to Steve Gallen at least, that has not yet tempted any Bonne suitors into action.

"I've not had one club ring me about Macauley," Gallen told London News Online. "He might think that sounds negative – but I'm not being negative.

"I don't want Macauley to go – no chance. I think he can go and score 15-20 goals in this division. He had a great return last season – 11 goals in the Championship having come from non-league.

"I don't want Macauley to go and neither does Lee Bowyer. We're really pleased no-one has made an offer."

Burnley saw Chris Wood linked with a move to Lazio this week, while Fulham could also be in the market for a striker after their promotion back to the Premier League.

But, assuming the £1m figure is accurate, Bonne's signature could still be worth pursuing even if there isn't a desperate need for Burnley or Fulham to strengthen.

That being said, the 24-year-old is likely to want to continue the momentum he gained at Leyton Orient and Charlton, which could make first-team opportunities paramount to his plans next season.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/08/14/club-chief-insists-no-approach-for-1m-star-after-links-to-burnley-fulham-and-others/


WhiteJC

"We have four offers" – Leeds United and Fulham said to be making attempts to sign player

Mainz are in danger of losing two of their star players to English clubs this summer, report Bild on Friday afternoon.

The German club's sporting director Rouven Schröder is aiming to bring in 'millions' before the transfer window closes in October, and Bild say he's taking his time doing it.

Schröder may be pursuing too hard a line, according to the report, asking for too much in the hope there's plenty of time to achieve desired asking prices.

One of the players who could leave is Jean-Paul Boëtius, and that's where Leeds United and Fulham come in. The 26 year old attacking midfielder made 28 appearances last season, scoring four goals and adding five assists.

Boëtius's agent Erkan Alkan is quoted as saying: "We have four offers."

Bild then state they've done their own digging and found out the offers are from Leeds, Fulham, Fiorentina and Sevilla.

However, Mainz are said to be asking two much, with none of the mentioned clubs willing to match what they want.

Boëtius cost Mainz €3.5m when they signed him from Feyenoord two years ago, yet there's no indication of what Schröder is holding out for.

The other key player Mainz could lose to England is Robin Quaison, with Tottenham said to be interested.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/four-offers-leeds-united-fulham-said-making-attempt-sign-player/

WhiteJC

Fulham make Boëtius bid

Fulham are one of four clubs who have submitted an offer for Mainz's midfielder Jean-Paul Boëtius, according to reports from Germany.

The Whites, along with fellow Premier League new boys Leeds United, are one of two English sides named by German tabloid Bild who have tabled offers for the Dutch international, who has been widely tipped to move on before October's transfer deadline. But both English sides are currently well short of Mainz's asking price, with the club's sporting director Rouven Schröder hoping to 'raise millions' through player sales before the close of the window. The same report suggests that Fiorentina and Sevilla are also interested in signing Boëtius.

The 26 year-old, who is most comfortable as an attacking midfielder but can also operate on either wing, scored four times in 29 appearances for Mainz last season, also providing five assists. His performances were crucial in helping the club avoid the Bundesliga drop this summer, with a strike in the 3-1 win over Werder Bremen on the penultimate weekend confirming their safety. Boëtius has scored eight goals in 60 appearances for the German outfit since signing from hometown club Feyenoord in August 2018 for a fee rumoured to be in the region of £3m.

Boëtius, who has had two spells with Feyenoord where he won the Dutch Cup in 2018, starred in Switzerland, where he helped Basel win the domestic double in 2016, and also earned a single senior cap for his country in a friendly against France in 2014. He was called up to Louis van Gaal's preliminary squad for the 2014 World Cup but missed on selection for the final Dutch party. Boëtius is the cousin of Urby Emmanuelson, another Dutch international, who had a brief loan spell at Craven Cottage in 2013.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/08/fulham-make-boetius-bid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fulham-make-boetius-bid

WhiteJC

Now in the Eredivisie with Heracles, de la Torre seeks long-awaited playing time
Luca de la Torre is a player who has vast U.S. youth national team experience and many American fans know by name. But now the San Diego native attacking midfielder is looking forward to his move to the Eredivisie where he will aim to make his first significant steps as a regular first-team player. ASN's Brian Sciaretta spoke with the U.S. U-23 hopeful on joining Heracles Almelo.

Michael Bulder/NesImages.NL

SEVEN YEARS AGO in 2013, Luca de la Torre moved from his native San Diego for England to join Fulham's academy in hopes of furthering his career. The promising attacking midfielder was a regular for the club's youth teams but with his contract having expired at the end of the English season, he is moving to the Eredivisie in the hopes of regular playing time and finding a place where he can put into practice what he learned with the London-based club.

Last week, Heracles Almelo announced it had signed de la Torre, 22, to a new contract through the end of the 2021/22 season. The process to bring the American to Holland has not been necessarily easy as the COVID-19 restrictions forced a stoppage in the English season and a cancellation of the Eredivisie season.

The interest from Heracles in de la Torre went back four months but it was only last Tuesday when he was able to arrive in Holland – in time for his first practice the following day. He was not at Wembley Stadium to watch Fulham secure passage back to the Premier League with its 2-1 extratime win over Brentford in the promotional playoff final.

For de la Torre, he would have liked to have been on hand to watch the big moment for Fulham, but he needed to focus on preseason and take every opportunity to establish a meaningful role with his new club.

"The goal is always to play," de la Torre told ASN. "The goal this year is to have consistent playing time in the league... I would have liked to have been at Wembley but I needed to be here to start preseason. It was a long process but I am happy to be here. It's great."

For a young and unestablished player trying to break into the first-team level, Fulham was a tough place in recent years. In 2019/20 and 2017/18 the club successfully chased promotion to the Premier League. In 2018/19, it unsuccessfully fought off relegation in the Premier League. In 2016/17, it fell short of promotion in the playoffs and the year before that, it was actually in a relegation battle in the Championship. In most of its games over the past five years, Fulham has been in intense games at various ends of the table where veterans have been preferred.

Looking back, de la Torre remembers Fulham in a very positive light and believes the club aided in his development despite only limited first-team minutes.

"There's loads of positives," de la Torre said of Fulham. "I was there for seven years, I came through the academy. I played with the first team and I was part of some great teams. We got promoted twice - which is a big deal. I have lots of great memories with my first professional goal, my debuts in the Championship, the Cup, and being on the bench in the Premier League. There are loads of positives to draw from. Even if I didn't play as much as I would have liked, training and playing with the squads I was on was a big positive."

But the decision to move on not only from Fulham, but from England as well, was not a difficult one for de la Torre. Due to him also holding a Spanish passport, more doors were open to him throughout Europe than they are for most other young American players.

When discussing his options, the Eredivisie was his first choice due to its attacking style and his preferred No. 10 role while also being comfortable as either a right or left midfielder. But the specific offer from Heracles was particularly enticing as it is a club that places a strong core value of giving young players minutes in important league games.

"Heracles is a club that develops players," de la Torre explained. "It is the philosophy of the club. They play a style of football that attracts me - as well as the general style in the Eredivisie. It's very attacking and very entertaining football, which is a great positive for me. I am really looking forward to playing in the league."

"Last season before it was cut short, Heracles were in eighth place," he added. "They had a chance of getting a Europa League qualifying spot. Heracles is a small club but they perform very well in the league and they win a lot of games. That was a big deal for me coming here. This is a winning team. That is really important to be a part of as well."

De la Torre wants to win at Heracles but he also points out that he hopes Eredivisie minutes help him earn a return to the setup with U.S. Soccer where he was a regular at the youth levels. From 2013-2015, de la Torre was an important player for the U-17 national team where participated at the 2015 U-17 World Cup and was part of a midfield that included Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams.

In 2017, de la Torre made the U-20 World Cup team and helped the team advance to the quarterfinals – where he memorably scored a stoppage time equalizer against Ecuador in the group stages. On that team he was reunited with Adams but also played alongside Josh Sargent, Jeremy Ebobisse, Cameron Carter-Vikers, Erik Palmer-Brown and other players now in the U.S. U-23 and full national team pool.

De la Torre remains in contact with many of his former teammates, including Pulisic who he also spent time with in London, but his participation with U.S. Soccer has declined. He was capped by the full national team under interim manager Dave Sarachan in a friendly vs. Ireland in 2018 and in 2019, he participated in his most recent camp last May/June which was run by Gregg Berhalter and Jason Kreis but included many U-23-eligible players. Since then, he has not been in contact with U.S. Soccer.

The current COVID pandemic has pushed the U-23 cycle out a year into 2021. With months of the Eredivisie season ahead of him until Olympic qualifiers, the current environment might allow him to make a late push back into that team and become one of the players who completes the rare trifecta of playing in the U-17 and U-20 World Cups and the Olympics.

"It definitely is a goal," de la Torre said of returning to the U.S setup with the U-23 team. "The first thing for me right now is to play regularly for my club. But playing for the national team has always been a big part of my career. I would love to get called-up."



http://americansoccernow.com/articles/now-in-the-eredivisie-with-heracles-de-la-torre-seeks-long-awaited-playing-time


WhiteJC

Leeds United and Fulham amongst clubs interested in Boetius

According to BILD, Jean-Paul Boetius could be leaving Mainz this summer with clubs from England, Spain and Italy interested in the winger.

The forward joined Mainz from Feyenoord in 2018 and has become a key player for the Bundesliga club. The 26-year-old has made 60 appearances for the club, scoring 8 times and adding 13 assists.

Boetius form has seen him gain attention from around Europe, with his agent  Erkan Alkan, telling Bild. "We have four offers."

According to the German newspaper these offers are from Leeds United, Fulham, Fiorentina, and Sevilla. Mainz are reportedly asking for "millions" to sell their star, who has a contract until 2022.



http://www.football-oranje.com/leeds-united-and-fulham-amongst-clubs-interested-in-boetius/

WhiteJC

Last Chance To Vote

If you haven't yet voted for your Player and Goal of the Season, now is the time to do it.

The voting will close in both ballots at midday on Monday 17th August, with the winners announced upon the players' return to training.

Player of the Season



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/august/15/last-chance-to-vote

WhiteJC

Fulham eye Smalling return

Fulham are interested in bringing Chris Smalling back to Craven Cottage after his proposed permanent move to AS Roma seems to have fallen through.

The England centre back spent last term on loan with the Italian giants but has returned to Manchester United after Roma failed to meet his parent club's £20m asking price. The 30 year-old, who made 30 appearances for the Giallorossi and found the net three times, had been eager to move to Italy after slipping down the pecking order at Old Trafford but Roma's reluctance to match either United's valuation or to be able to pay his wages for another loan leaves Smalling in limbo.

Reports yesterday suggested that several Premier League clubs had been alerted to Smalling's availability following the collapse of his proposed switch to Roma. Newcastle have long been admirers of the 6'4" centre half but, the collapse of a recent takeover bid leaves the Magpies unable to fund significant transfers without the approval of Mike Ashley. Smalling's rumoured £130,000-a-week wages would be a stumbing block for any suitors, although he was believed to be willing to take a hefty cut in salary to secure a move to Roma had it materialised.

Fulham's interest in their former player is considered legitimate, although it remains to be seen whether they would look to take him on loan initially or table a bid to bring Smalling back outright. The defender's professional career began at Craven Cottage after Roy Hodgson signed him from Maidstone United in 2008. The ball-playing centre half flourished under Hodgson's influence at Craven Cottage, breaking into the first team as a teenager and not looking out of place when he stepped into alongside either Brede Hangeland or Aaron Hughes at the back. He made nineteen appearances in total, helping the Whites reach the Europa League final, before joining Manchester United for £11.5m in July 2010.

Smalling, who has made more than 300 appearances for United, would represent the sort of experienced Premier League defender that Scott Parker wants to build his defence around as Fulham attempt to avoid the mistakes that plagued their last season in the top flight. Whether the defender would consider rejoining the club that gave him his first shot in senior football is still an unknown, although Smalling is eager for regular first-team football having been dropped by England boss Gareth Southgate in November 2017.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/08/fulham-eye-smalling-return/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fulham-eye-smalling-return