Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 02/09/20...

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Fulham and West Ham face competition in Wilson race

Newcastle and Aston Villa have joined the race for Fulham target Callum Wilson, according to Sky Sports News.

West London Sport recently reported Fulham's interest in adding the England striker to their squad as the Whites look to strengthen for their return to the top flight.

Newcastle are reported to have held talks with relegated Bournemouth over a player-plus-cash deal for Wilson which could see former Cherries player Matt Ritchie return to the Vitality Stadium, while Villa are also said to have made an offer.

The 28-year-old, who has scored 67 goals in 180 appearances for the south coast side, has also reportedly attracted interest from West Ham and Tottenham this summer.

Meanwhile, Fulham are expected to listen to offers for midfielders Stefan Johansen and Kevin McDonald following the signings of Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina.

The Whites have completed deals to bring in Reed and Lemina from Southampton.

Reed, 25, impressed while on loan from the Saints last season, helping Fulham win promotion back to the Premier League.

The club have taken up an option to buy him for £8m, while Lemina has been signed on a season-long loan with a view to completing a permanent move next summer.

Lemina has been out of favour at Southampton for some time and spent last season on loan at Galatasaray.

The move to Craven Cottage gives him another chance to establish himself in the Premier League – and Whites boss Scott Parker the midfield reinforcement he wanted ahead of the new campaign.



https://londonfootballnews.co.uk/west-ham/football-wls-west-ham-fulham-bournemouth-callum-wilson-newcastle-aston-villa-interest/

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Everton facing battle for Watford star as Ligue 1 giants enter pursuit

According to a report from the Evening Standard, Watford's sought after midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure is now attracting interest from French giants AS Monaco.

Upon Watford's relegation to the Championship, star midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has been heavily linked with a move away. As covered here on The72, Everton are rumoured to be eyeing Doucoure and now, it is said that French side AS Monaco are also interested.

Monaco are interested in adding a new midfielder to their ranks this summer and Doucoure has emerged as a potential option. Wolves and Premier League new boys Fulham have also been linked with the Frenchman but he is yet to seal a move away from Vicarage Road.

After their relegation, Watford are willing to let Doucoure depart. However, they will not be letting him leave on the cheap, with the Evening Standard saying a fee of over £20m will be enough.

Since signing from Stade Rennais in January 2016, Doucoure has gone on to notch up 141 appearances for the club. Playing in the middle of the park, the Frenchman has scored 17 goals and laid on 12 assists across all competitions.

A return to the Premier League seems the most likely move for Doucoure this summer. However, it will be interesting to see if Monaco are able to tempt him back to France.

Who do you think Doucoure should join this summer? Everton or Monaco? Or someone else? Let us know your thoughts in the poll at the bottom of the page.



https://the72.co.uk/189836/everton-facing-battle-for-watford-star-as-ligue-1-giants-enter-pursuit/

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Fantasy League guide: Leeds United, Fulham and West Brom present bargains for your FPL side

    Newly promoted clubs offer great value early on in the season before their star performers see their prices go up
    Who will be this season's breakout star from the English Premier League new boys?

Fantasy Premier League welcomes the three newly promoted English Premier League teams to the game this season: Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham.

As ever, the top flight new boys will be busy in the transfer market trying to strengthen to stay up, which gives any budding Bielsas something of a headache.

The new additions represent a risk, especially if they have no Premier League pedigree to speak of, while those who remain at the club after getting them up have to adapt almost as much.

As we have seen over the years, there is – contrary to what Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson thought of its real-life equivalent – "value in the market" when it comes to the newly promoted sides.

Newly promoted clubs offer great value early on in the season before their star performers see their prices go up. So who might offer that value this Fantasy Premier League season and who will be this season's breakout star from the English Premier League new boys?

Read on for our tips for players to consider to free up spends for the game's established stars while adding a few points at the same time.

Ilian Meslier – Leeds United (£4.5m) – goalkeeper
The 20-year-old goalkeeper came in for first-choice Kiko Casilla after the Spanish stopper was found guilty of racially abusing Charlton Athletic's Jonathan Leko. He kept his place – but for one game against Derby County – keeping seven clean sheets in 10 games on loan from French side L'Orient. Now Bielsa has made the France under-21 keeper's signing permanent and he is widely tipped to be the first choice for the club's first season in the top flight in 16 years.

Luke Ayling – Leeds United (£4.5m) – defender
As part of the stingiest defence in the Championship last season, Ayling was a key performer at right back. More than that – and there is reason enough to select any Leeds defender for clean sheet potential alone – the 29-year-old had his best season at the club since signing in 2016, scoring four goals and laying on five more for the champions. If the new boys can play anything like they did under Bielsa last season then there are plenty of points to be won.

Stuart Dallas – Leeds United (£4.5m) – defender
Teammate Stuart Dallas offers a similar threat to Ayling from left back. The Northern Ireland international has also been at Leeds for years but had a starring role as they won the Championship last season. Dallas scored five goals and laid on three for teammates in 45 games.

Antonee Robinson – Fulham (£4.5m) – defender
A new arrival at Fulham and one who had a roller coaster of a season, being minutes away from joining AC Milan in January and then being relegated with Wigan Athletic after the club were deducted 12 points for going into administration. The England-born US national team left back was previously at Everton, where he came through the ranks, but never made the first team. Now he has a chance to show them and the Milan side what they missed out on.

Joe Bryan – Fulham (£5.0m) – defender
The star of the play-off final against Brentford at Wembley, where his brace secured promotion, the left-back was involved in 10 goals over the course of the Championship season and had more shots than the club's other defenders combined. As well as free kicks, he scored one at Wembley, he also takes corners offering more chances for notching assists.

Semi Ajayi – West Brom (£5.0m) – defender
A Nigerian international, the London-born central defender channelled his boss Slaven Bilic at both ends of the field – they were the third tightest backline and Ajayi netted five goals. That was an impressive debut campaign for a player who had been on the bench for Premier League games with Arsenal before dropping down the leagues and working his way back up. He is expected to start often for the Baggies, who have as easy a start to the season as a newly promoted team could hope for.

Neeskens Kebano – Fulham ( £5.0m) – midfielder
He shares his name with one of the greatest players in the Netherlands, whom his father named him after, and he has made his own impact in Southwest London. The former France youth international opted to play for DR Congo internationally. Going into his fifth season at Fulham, he grabbed five goals in the last five games of the season to guide Scott Parker's side to the play-offs – having not scored before that all season. He was at the club the last time they were promoted but hopefully the 28-year-old former PSG player can have a bigger impact this time out.

Matheus Pereira – West Bromwich Albion (£6.0m) – midfielder
The Brazilian was a revelation on loan at The Hawthorns last season and finished as the top assist-provider in the Championship with 20. The 24-year-old has since signed for the Baggies permanently from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon. Pereira also scored eight goals for Slaven Bilic's side in his debut season in England.

Patrick Bamford – Leeds United (£5.5m) – forward
Could this finally be Bamford's time to shine in the top flight? The forward was top scorer for Leeds as they romped to the Championship, 10 points ahead of West Brom, in a season where he notched 16 goals and set up two more. The question mark is where Bielsa sees the club's record signing Rodrigo, newly arrived from Valencia, fitting in.

Aleksandar Mitrovic – Fulham, Striker (£6.0m) – forward
The burly Serbian striker has caused problems in the Premier League before – 21 goals in 77 appearances between Newcastle United and Fulham – and was in even better form in the Championship last season, where he was top scorer with 26 goals. Mitrovic knows the league and at 25 is coming toward his prime. Plus, he will definitely be tasked with scoring most of Fulham's goals. He may pick up a few yellows along the way, though.



https://www.scmp.com/print/sport/football/article/3099735/fantasy-league-guide-leeds-united-fulham-and-west-brom-present

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Leicester City: Foxes consider move for Fulham defender Joe Bryan as Ben Chilwell replacement

According to a report from the Daily Mail, whilst apparently commencing talks over Atalanta defender Timothy Castagne, Leicester City have also 'considered' moving for Fulham defender Joe Bryan this summer after Ben Chilwell's £45 million move to Chelsea.

Chilwell, starting 27 Premier League matches for the Foxes last season under manager Brendan Rodgers, was a key figure despite the club narrowly missing out on a Champions League qualification place.

The England international, now a part of Frank Lampard's rebuild in west London, will need replacing at the King Power Stadium as Leicester continue to be linked with a host of defenders.

Castagne and his Serie A teammate Robin Gosens have been touted with a move to the top flight, but Fulham defender Bryan has also been 'considered' as an option according to the Mail.

2019/2020's Championship play-off final hero, scoring a brace to send Fulham back to the big time, it appears Bryan is now on the Foxes radar as they attempt to find a worthy Chilwell successor – and ex-Leicester fan favourite boss Claudio Ranieri is certainly a fan judging by his past praise.

The Italian, who guided City to a stunning 2015/2016 Premier League title win, took charge of Fulham back in 2018 and almost immediately noticed Bryan's potential – claiming he is a 'good player' and 'ambitious' (football.london).

Ranieri also exclaimed his belief in the defender's ability, leaving little wonder why the capital club reportedly value his services at around £15 million – with such a bid potentially tempting them to cash in according to the Sun.

Whether or not Leicester swoop for Bryan if talks for Castagne cease remains to be seen, but he could theoretically be a viable alternative.



https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/leicester-city-transfer-rumours/leicester-city-foxes-consider-move-for-fulham-defender-joe-bryan-as-ben-chilwell-replacement/

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Fulham still interested in Portuguese winger – Will need to at least double first bid to stand a chance

Premier League side Fulham remain interested in the signing of Sporting winger Jovane Cabral, according to the Portuguese media.

Newspaper Record brings an article today where they dismiss Tottenham's interest for the player. Despite reports from England saying Spurs are keen on the 22-year-old, they say José Mourinho actually doesn't have him as a target.

But the outlet writes there's another club who could take Jovane to the Premier League, and that's Fulham.

The Whites are said to be alongside German sides in the race for the winger this summer, although it's unlikely to be easy to take him from Sporting now.

Record writes that the Lions have no intention of selling Jovane, and if they do, that would need to be for a very good offer, meaning at least above €20m.

A couple of months ago, the Portuguese press said Sporting turned down a €10m bid from Fulham for the winger.

Now with the promotion to the Premier League guaranteed, the Craven Cottage side would need to at least double their previous bid so they can sign him.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-still-interested-portuguese-winger-will-need-least-double-first-bid-stand-chance/

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Report: Fulham plan to sell two players after promotion; replacements lined up

Newly-promoted Fulham are set to sell Kevin McDonald and Stefan Johansen after reinforcing Scott Parker's midfield during the summer transfer window, according to West London Sport.

Two of the longest serving players in the Cottagers' squad were struggling for game time already at Craven Cottage.

And with the arrivals of Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina from Southampton set to push the experienced duo further down the pecking order, there is a very real chance that both Johansen and McDonald have played their final games in Fulham colours.

McDonald, a snappy Scottish ball-winner, started just seven Championship games last season after losing his place to then-loanee Reed.

The latter has now put pen to paper on an £8 million permanent deal.

Norway international Johansen, meanwhile, made almost half of his 33 appearances from the bench in 2019/20. At the age of 29 the former Celtic schemer still has a lot of miles left in the tank and he would stroll into the starting XI of most Championship teams.

West London Sport claims that Fulham will listen to offers for McDonald and Johansen, with a number of as-yet unnamed clubs making their interest known.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/01/report-fulham-plan-to-sell-two-players-after-promotion-replacements-lined-up/

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Report: Fulham plan £18m deal for 'exceptional' midfielder compared to Real Madrid ace

Fulham are stepping up their interest in Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis and will offer £18 million to sign the Portugal U21 international on a permanent basis after an initial loan spell at Craven Cottage, according to the Mirror (1 September, page 45).

With Scott Parker's Premier League newcomers confirming the arrivals of Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina over the weekend, you would be forgiven for assuming that a deal for Luis was dead in the water.

But it seems that could not be any further from the truth.

The Mirror suggest that the 21-year-old has been lined up to complete a new-look midfield with Fulham planning a loan deal which could be turned into a permanent contract.

Should Luis impress over the next 12 months or so in west London, the fee would reach around £18 million.

Clearly, Fulham have learned the lessons of that infamous 2018 splurge, in which they paid staggering sums to sign Jean-Michel Seri and Andre Franck Zambo Anguissa – talented midfielders but without a shred of first-team experience between them.

Two years later, Fulham are still struggling to get a pair of £25 million forgotten men off the wage bill.

Florentino, if he adapts to the pace of English football, would offer the Cottagers something they never had during that disastrous 2018/19 – a disciplined, dynamic defensive-minded shield.

"Florentino is a young player who has exceptional talent. From very early on, we realized that Florentino was on the road to becoming an elite player," Benfica youth coach Joao Tralhao told Bernabau Digital

"I see Florentino as a logical option (for Real Madrid). He has a profile very similar to that of Casemiro and in Europe he is, without a doubt, one of the best in his position.

"I think Florentino is that type of footballer that you would always want to have on your team. Defensively he is exceptionally effective. In terms of technical and decision-making qualities, he is also at a very good level.

"If we are looking for elite footballers who can fit in In this profile, I think we will always remember players like Casemiro, Fernandinho..."



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/01/report-fulham-plan-18m-deal-for-exceptional-midfielder-compared-to-real-madrid-ace/

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Fulham submit second loan bid for Florentino Luis

Fulham have returned with a second loan offer for Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis after seeing their first approach rejected.

The Daily Mirror claims that the Whites are eager to snap up the Portuguese under-21 international, who had previously been interesting Italian giants AC Milan. With Milan moving on to secure the secures of Sandro Tonali, Fulham are now the frontrunners in the race to sign Luis and have reopened talks with Benfica about a possible loan move.

Fulham have reportedly doubled their proposed loan fee for the highly-rated midfielder to around £2m and the deal would include an option to buy Luis for around £25m, with similar figures quoted in the Portuguese press today. The 21 year-old is apparently interested in a move to the Premier League, having made just ten first-team appearances during an injury-ravaged campaign for Benfica last year.

Luis has long been tipped as one of the future stars of Portuguese football, having built a big reputation as part of the national sides that won the European under-16 and under-18 championships in 2016 and 2018. He burst into the Benfica first team with a real fanfare as a teenage, making his senior debut as a substitute against Nacional and then helping the Eagles win their first European tie in Turkey four days later in a victory over Galatasaray.

Scott Parker is known to be an admirer of young Luis, having flown to Lisbon prior to the Champions' League final to demonstrate just how serious Fulham's interest in the youngster was. Were Fulham to pull of a real coup and land the holding midfielder, the battle for places in the newly-promoted side's engine room would prove fierce with summer signings Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina joining the likes of Josh Onomah, Tom Cairney and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in contention for a starting spot.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/fulham-submit-second-loan-bid-for-florentino-luis/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fulham-submit-second-loan-bid-for-florentino-luis

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Fulham interested in former Chelsea forward Traore

Fulham are interested in signing Bertrand Traore from Lyon.

The former Chelsea forward, 24, is among a number of attacking players Fulham have identified as a possible acquisition following the club's return to the Premier League.

They were keen on Ebere Eze, who recently joined Crystal Palace from QPR.

The Whites have also shown an interest in Brentford striker Ollie Watkins but face competition from several other clubs.

Burkina Faso international Traore is also on the radar. He has two years remaining on his Lyon contract.

Traore made 10 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, scoring two goals, before being sold to Lyon for £8.8m in the summer of 2017.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-interested-in-former-chelsea-forward-bertrand-traore-01920

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Galatasaray launch loan bid for Johansen

Galatasaray have begin discussions with Fulham over a possible loan move for Stefan Johansen, according to reports from Turkey.

The newly-promoted Premier League club have apparently made both Johansen and Scottish midfielder veteran Kevin McDonald available on loan after bringing in Southampton duo Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina on Sunday. The Turkish giants are likely to have to operate in the loan window given their difficult financial position and it looks as though Galatasaray may have switched their attentions from Jean Michael Seri, who was with the Istanbul club on loan last year.

Johansen, who has spent three successful years at Craven Cottage since signing from Celtic for around £2.5m in 2016, made 33 appearances as Scott Parker's side won promotion via the play-offs last season but was largely used as a substitute when competition resumed following the coronavirus lockdown. The 29 year-old, who has twice won promotion to the top flight with Fulham, was loaned out to West Brom for the second half of the 2018/2019 campaign and will be eager to play regular football as he seeks to keep his place in the Norwegian national side.

The energetic midfielder has made 134 appearances for Fulham, scoring 21 goals, and has another two years to run on his current deal at Craven Cottage.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/galatasary-launch-loan-bid-for-johansen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=galatasary-launch-loan-bid-for-johansen

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Fulham mulling move for Traore

Fulham are considering making a move for Lyon forward Bertrand Traore, according to Sky Sports.

The Burkina Faso international, who can operate on either flank or as a centre forward, has scored 33 goals in 125 appearances for Lyon, who would be open to selling him this summer. The 24 year-old came through Auxerre's youth academy before moving to Chelsea, making sixteen appearances and scoring four goals in 2015. He was loaned to Vitesse Arnhem and Ajax, whom he helped reach the Europa League final in 2016, by scoring twice against Lyon in the semi finals, and eventually signed for Lyon for a reported £9m.

Traore, who starred as his country came third in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, has scored nine goals in his 54 international caps and was part of the Lyon squad that reached the Champions' League final this year, although he was an unused substitute in the latter stages of the competition. Fulham would reportedly face competition from Newcastle United, Leicester City, Everton and Crystal Palace in the fight to secure the flying winger's services. Traore has two years to run on his current contract at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/fulham-mulling-move-for-traore/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fulham-mulling-move-for-traore

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Welcome To The New fulhamfc.com

The Club is delighted to launch, and welcome supporters to, our new official Club website!

A NEW DIGITAL LOOK FOR FULHAM FC
With a fresh look to accompany our return to the Premier League, the new fulhamfc.com has been designed for both desktop and mobile, naturally responding to the user's state to ensure fans experience a consistent and streamlined experience across all of their devices.

The new-look site features larger imagery and a redesigned navigation, seeking to provide clearer access and guiding all users to different sections of the website.

In addition, Fulham's Online Store and Online Tickets sites have been redesigned and, as part of the relaunch, the Club has introduced a new single account service - OneFulham Account - that will provide fans with access to all of Fulham's online services under one login.

Fans are advised to follow the OneFulham Account set up instructions, and also to update the FFCtv App to the latest version on their respective iOS or Android devices.

ACCESS TO ALL YOUR FULHAM CONTENT
The new fulhamfc.com is packed full of current and historic content, meaning fans can enjoy the latest news, interviews, highlights and videos from FFCtv to ensure they never miss a moment.

Ahead of our 2020/21 Premier League campaign, a new Match Centre will launch, becoming the place to follow the Whites on matchdays; with minute-by-minute commentary, in-game stats and scores from around the grounds, as well as live audio from Gentleman Jim for FFCtv subscribers.

Results, reports and highlights from previous campaigns are all currently available to view, or why not visit the History section and explore the rich and colourful past of London's original football club.

In order to maximise user experience, supporters are encouraged to ensure they are operating on the latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge.

ONEFULHAM ACCOUNT
The OneFulham Account will be the gateway to Fulham's online ticketing and retail sites, as well as FFCtv service for paid subscribers, combining supporters' different logins into one and making the online experience of following Fulham simpler.

Fans will need to create a new OneFulham Account and link their existing ticketing account to it. Existing separate logins across eticketing.co.uk/fulhamfc, shop.fulhamfc.com and FFCtv (tv.fulhamfc.com and FFCtv App) will no longer work. This is a one-time process, and we urge supporters to complete this as soon as possible.

Please ensure that information supplied is up to date and accurate, in order to not only continue to make online purchases and be able to enjoy video content on FFCtv, but also in preparation for the 2020/21 season, where accurate information will be an essential requirement for any supporters who wish to attend matches, once it is safe to do so.

Supporters who have already created an account through our preference centre are only required to go through the account linking process.

Fans can find out more about the OneFulham Account here

FEEDBACK
As always, the feedback from our supporters is appreciated. Please do get in touch and share any comments and suggestions on the new fulhamfc.com by emailing [email protected]



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Welcome-To-The-New-fulhamfc-com/

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Parker to sign new three-year Fulham contract

Scott Parker has agreed a new three-year contract with Fulham, according to a report from the Sun tonight.

The 39 year-old opened talks with the Londoners in the immediate aftermath of Fulham's play-off victory over local rivals Brentford last month. The Whites wanted to tie down their former captain to a longer deal after he guided the club back to the top flight at the first time of asking – with his reputation rising after navigating a path out of the testing Championship.

For his part, Parker wanted a long-term commitment from the club's owners and the Sun asserts that the Fulham boss has been afforded a greater role in the club's recruitment than previous incumbents. Parker's input has been praised by Fulham's summer signings, with both Antonee Robinson and Mario Lemina revealing that their discussions with the manager were pivotal to their decisions to move to Craven Cottage.

The tabloid suggests that official confirmation of Parker's new contract will come next week as Fulham build up to their opening fixture of the new campaign against Arsenal.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/parker-to-sign-new-three-year-fulham-contract/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=parker-to-sign-new-three-year-fulham-contract

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Bertrand Traore: Fulham looking into possibility of signing Lyon winger

Bertrand Traore has scored 21 goals for Lyon since joining from Chelsea in 2017

Fulham are looking into the possibility of signing Lyon winger Bertrand Traore.

The former Chelsea player has two years left on his contract at the French club.

Lyon are prepared to sell Traore this summer and he has been watched by a long list of Premier League clubs including Newcastle, Leicester, Everton and Crystal Palace.

Lyon paid Chelsea £9m for Traore three years ago after he had impressed during loan spells at Vitesse Arnhem and Ajax.

Fulham, who were promoted to the Premier League this summer, have already bolstered their midfield by signing two players from Southampton - with Mario Lemina joining on a season-long loan and Harrison Reed signing permanently.

They have also entered the race to sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford and are in talks with the Sky Bet Championship club over the striker.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11681/12061383/bertrand-traore-fulham-looking-into-possibility-of-signing-lyon-winger

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GREAT SCOTT Scott Parker to sign three-year deal after Fulham promotion as boss wants greater influence over transfers

SCOTT PARKER will sign a new three-year contract with Fulham after leading the club back into the Premier League.

Parker's existing deal with the London club runs out at the end of the season.

Scott Parker is set to sign a new three-year contract at Fulham
Credit: Getty Images - Getty

And he had been looking for a long-term commitment from the owners after securing promotion last season.

Talks began a week after their play-off win over Brentford last month with the former England star wanting a bigger say in the transfer activity at Craven Cottage.

Parker, 39, had made it clear he did not want a repeat of the crazy spending spree of two years ago the last time Fulham were promoted to the top flight.

Then, they effectively broke up the squad who achieved promotion by splashing out over £100million on signings who failed to produce the goods, leading to an instant relegation back to the Championship.

Vice-chairman Tony Khan, son of owner Shahid Khan, appears to have welcomed the greater input of his manager in player signings.

And he has given the green-light to extend Parker's stay.

The finishing touches are being put to the contract but it is expected to be signed before Fulham open their Premier League season with a home game against Fulham on Saturday week.



https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12556782/scott-parker-fulham-new-contract-exclusive/

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U18s Report: Eagles held to draw by Fulham in pre-season opener

Crystal Palace Under-18s were held to a 2-2 draw against fellow Category 1 outfit Fulham on Tuesday afternoon, as they kick-started their preparations for the 2020/21 season with confidence. Despite an impressive performance, goals from Victor Akinwale and David Omilabu were not quite enough to seal an arguably deserved win at Bisham Abbey.

Summary

    Mika Biereth fires Fulham into an early lead with his side-footed finish
    Omilabu bundles the ball home to level the scores almost immediately
    A fantastic move results in Jesurun Rak-Sakyi teeing up Omilabu to make it 2-0
    Half-time: Fulham 1-2 Palace
    Akinwale almost adds a third as he fires his effort over the bar
    Fulham level proceedings through Xavier Benjamin's strong header
    Full-time: Fulham 2-2 Palace

The game began in spectacular fashion as both sides managed to find the target inside the opening three minutes. But it was Fulham who opened the scoring when Biereth beat the offside trap as he latched on to a long ball from midfield. The forward then entered the box before tucking his low strike into the bottom left-hand corner, with Palace goalkeeper Owen Goodman seeing the ball slip just under his right glove.

However, the Cottagers managed to hold their 1-0 advantage for less than 60 seconds as a determined Palace surged forward from kick-off. They worked the ball to Rak-Sakyi on the right, and he skidded a low cross into Akinwale who bundled it over the line from close range to draw level.

Palace built on this equaliser by continuing to test the Fulham defence in the early exchanges as Rak-Sakyi saw his powerful drive blocked, while Akinwale was denied a penalty appeal when he was brought to ground just as he bore down on goal. Akinwale was at the heart of Palace's early attacking endeavours and he orchestrated another key chance when he glided into the box before seeing his rising effort tipped just wide by the Fulham goalkeeper.

Fulham responded to Palace's attacking burst by creating two chances in quick succession as Biereth firstly failed to beat Goodman to a loose ball in the box and then stroked it inches wide after connecting with a smartly chipped through-ball.

It had been an exciting opening half-hour in which Palace were marginally on top, and they made this pressure count with an exquisite team goal after 33 minutes. Fionn Mooney carried the ball out of midfield before expertly sliding it into Rak-Sakyi's path on the right flank, who then stroked a teasing ball into the centre which Omilabu powered home at the back post.

Fulham enjoyed a spell of intense pressure shortly after the interval, but they could not level the scores with a saved header representing their best chance of this period. Palace then almost added their third of the game in the 52nd minute, but Mooney saw his first-time effort canon off the right-hand post.

Palace then created another golden chance just over 10 minutes later when Omilabu carved a precise through-ball to Akinwale, who took it around the goalkeeper before lashing his strike high and wide of the left-hand post.

Frustratingly, the visitors were dealt a blow when Rak-Sakyi was forced off with an injury midway through the second half. This led to Under-18s boss Paddy McCarthy reshuffling his pack, but Palace could not hold their lead as it was now Fulham's turn to peg their opponents back. The home side's eventual equaliser came from a free-kick which saw Matt Dibley-Dias whip a deadly cross into the box from near the right flank, and Benjamin rose highest to meet the delivery before powering home a bullet header to make it 2-2.

This proved to be the last major event as Palace were forced to settle for a draw in a match where they would have been pleased with some of the neat attacking moves they managed to assemble.

Palace: Goodman, Thistleton, Bartley, Watson, Adaramola, Ling, Wells-Morrison, Mooney, Rak-Sakyi (Jessup 68), Akinwale, Omilabu.



https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2020/september/report-crystal-palace-under-18s-hold-fulham-to-draw-in-pre-season-friendly/

[WhiteJC]

Wolves and Fulham tracking Abdoulaye Doucoure

Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has been linked with a summer move away from the club and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.

The Frenchman has been heavily linked with a move to Everton but Evening Standard are reporting that Wolves and Fulham are now tracking the 27-year-old.

It will be interesting to see if Wolves can fend off the competition and sign the midfield powerhouse before the new season begins. Doucoure has impressed in the Premier League over the last two seasons and he would be a terrific addition to Nuno's midfield.

He would complement the likes of Navas and Moutinho perfectly.

The same could be said about Fulham. The Londoners need to add some Premier League quality players to their side and Doucoure would improve their midfield massively.

Apparently, French outfit Monaco are keen on the player as well and they have expressed their interest in the midfielder recently.

Watford are thought to be holding out for a fee of over £20m but the player is keen on staying in the Premier League.

It will be interesting to see which of the three Premier League clubs linked with Doucoure manage to convince the Hornets with an acceptable offer now.



https://sportslens.com/wolves-and-fulham-tracking-abdoulaye-doucoure/311257/