Thursday Fulham Stuff - 03/09/20...

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Fulham hand Scott Parker new three-year contract after manager achieved promotion to Premier League

Parker led Fulham out of the Championship at the first attempt via the play-offs and has now been given a new deal until 2023

ulham have rewarded manager Scott Parker with a new three-year deal following promotion back to the Premier League. The 39-year-old former England international was named caretaker boss following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri in February 2019 and given the job on a permanent basis despite the west London club's relegation.

Parker led Fulham out of the Championship at the first attempt via the play-offs and has now been given a new deal until 2023.

"I'm delighted to have signed a new deal which shows mutual faith and commitment, on both my side and the club's," Parker said. "I'm pleased with the hard work we have all carried out behind the scenes which resulted in achieving our objective of promotion to the Premier League last month.

"This has been a huge effort involving many people, and has continued in our preparations for the new season. Signing a new deal provides stability and an opportunity to keep on developing the team. There is still a lot of hard work ahead of us, and we'll always be striving to improve and progress every day."

Parker made 128 appearance for Fulham and was club captain by the time he retired in 2017, with the former midfielder returning to the club as a coach the following summer.

Fulham owner Shahid Khan said: "We believed in Scott Parker when we signed him as a player in 2013, and we believed in him as our caretaker manager at the end of our most recent season in the Premier League. Our belief and confidence in Scott is stronger than ever today and is evident in this new three-year contract, which is fully deserved, and I'm thoroughly honoured to offer as we return next week to top-flight football."

Parker's deal is a further boost to the Craven Cottage club's Premier League preparations. Anthony Knockaert and Harrison Reed have signed permanent deals with the club after impressing on loan, while Antonee Robinson and Mario Lemina have also arrived at the club.

Fulham are in the hunt for more signings, with Parker understood to be more engaged in the recruitment process overseen by sporting director Tony Khan than previous coaches. Khan manages the Whites' transfer business and is working remotely in the United States due to coronavirus travel restrictions, but the director of football and manager are understood to be in regular contact over conference calls.



http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/fulham-scott-parker-contract-manager-a9701936.html

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Bristol City eye Mawson loan move

Bristol City have opened talks with Fulham over a potential loan move for Alfie Mawson, according to a Sky Sports report this evening.

The Robins are reportedly close to sealing a season-long loan deal for full back Steven Sessegnon and new manager Dean Holden is also keen to add options in central defence. Mawson, who has endured an injury-ravaged spell at Craven Cottage since signing from Swansea in August 2018, has plenty of suitors should the Whites be open to letting him leave, with Watford and QPR also keen on signing the 26 year-old.

Mawson struggled to overcome a knee injury that he had surgery on prior to joining Fulham. He found it difficult to establish himself in a struggling side and injured his knee again during the dramatic 1-0 win over Huddersfield in December 2019. He made just fifteen appearances as the Whites were relegated after just one season in the top flight and slowly slipped down Scott Parker's pecking order last season after Michael Hector was brought in from Chelsea. He hasn't made a first-team appearance since January.

Fulham signed the former England under-21 centre half for £20m and are apparently considering allowing him to leave on loan for regular first-team football as they search for defensive upgrades ahead of their opening game of the new campaign against Arsenal on September 12.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2020/09/bristol-city-eye-mawson-loan-move/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bristol-city-eye-mawson-loan-move

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Scott Parker: Fulham boss signs new three-year deal

Scott Parker guided Fulham back to the Premier League at the first attempt

Fulham boss Scott Parker has signed a new three-year deal with the Premier League newcomers.

The 39-year-old guided the Cottagers to victory in the Championship play-off final against Brentford in August.

The contract will keep Parker, who took over at the end of the 2018-19 season, at the club until the summer of 2023.

"I'm delighted to have signed a new deal which shows mutual faith and commitment, on both my side and the club's," said Parker.

"I'm pleased with the hard work we have all carried out behind the scenes which resulted in achieving our objective of promotion to the Premier League last month.

"This has been a huge effort involving many people, and has continued in our preparations for the new season.

"Signing a new deal provides stability and an opportunity to keep on developing the team. There is still a lot of hard work ahead of us, and we'll always be striving to improve and progress every day."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54005238

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Fulham look to hijack West Brom's Grady Diangana deal with West Ham stance cleared up

West Brom look set to sign Grady Diangana after a successful loan move last season but a transfer is not complete yet and Fulham are interested in the West Ham starlet

Fulham are weighing up whether to make a last-minute bid to hijack West Brom's £18m move for Grady Diangana.

The Baggies yesterday agreed a fee believed to be worth around £12m plus add-ons for the West Ham winger.

And Diangana, who spent a successful loan spell with West Brom last season, will now be allowed to talk terms with Slaven Bilic's side.

But Fulham are also interested in the 22-year-old, who is under contract with the Hammers until 2025.

Boss Scott Parker kept a close eye on Diangana last season and would like to bring him to Craven Cottage.

While talks are at an advanced stage with West Brom, it is understood a deal is far from done, with the player's representatives waiting to see if other clubs come in.

Aston Villa also expressed an interest in Diangana, but Fulham are more likely to launch a last-minute bid.

West Ham do not want to sell the England Under 21 forward, who manager David Moyes wants to integrate into his first-team squad this season.

But the Hammers need to sell to buy this summer and are struggling to offload higher earners like Jack Wilshere, Felipe Anderson, Pablo Fornals and Manuel Lanzini.

Diangana also plays in a position where West Ham have plenty of competition - with Moyes keen to strengthen in other areas, primarily at the back.



https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-look-hijack-west-broms-22619574

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Premier League urged to reverse decision to make 160 games unavailable to watch on TV

According to the current schedule there will be just 220 Premier League matches available on live TV next season despite the likely lack of fans in stadiums

A statement from the Government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has pleaded with the Premier League to reconsider their decision to make just 220 of the 380 Premier League matches available for broadcast in the UK next season.

Following the end of the nationwide lockdown all 92 of the remaining games of the 2019-20 were shown live over Sky Sports, BT Sport, Amazon Prime and BBC Sport.

Despite pilot test events with reduced crowds going ahead in recent weeks, it appears highly unlikely that clubs will be permitted to allow more than a small percentage of their stadium capacity into grounds for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus crisis.

For that reason, the DCMS have urged the Premier League to make all games available for TV so that supporters do not miss out on the chance to see their team in action.

The statement read: "Our focus is on working with the football authorities, safety and medical experts to get fans back in stadia as quickly as possible.

"It is for the Premier League and its broadcast partners to come to an agreement on screening matches, however we urge them to follow the spirit of Project Restart and listen to clubs' loyal fans and consider what can be achieved in the meantime."

Brighton's pre-season friendly against Chelsea on Saturday went ahead with 2,500 fans inside the 30,000 capacity Amex Stadium.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have announced that they hope to allow a limited amount of fans back to the Emirates Stadium for their Premier League game against Sheffield United on October 3.

Speaking about Brighton 's trial v Chelsea, Premier League CEO Richard Masters said: "Brighton and Hove Albion did a fantastic job at their test event for the return of supporters and it was great to see fans in a Premier League stadium for the first time since March.

"The success of having 2,500 supporters in the Amex was very encouraging and we are committed to having full stadia as soon as possible, with safety always our priority. We are working hard alongside our clubs, the government and the safety authorities to achieve this."



https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/premier-league-urged-reverse-decision-22619509

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Report: Player agrees Everton terms ahead of £22m transfer and has rejected Wolves and Fulham

Everton are on the verge of signing Abdoulaye Doucoure after the Watford midfielder rejected the advances of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, according to The Sun.

The newspaper claims Everton have agreed a £22 million fee with the Hornets.

And Doucoure is said to be travelling for a medical on Merseyside tomorrow (Thursday), having already agreed personal terms.

Beating Wolves and Fulham to Doucoure may not be the only coup Everton pull off this week, with the Real Madrid and Napoli midfielders James Rodriguez and Allan also close, according to The Sun.

Doucoure, whom the newspaper claims had his heart set on a move to Everton once the club made their interest known, has averaged a goal or an assist around once every four Premier League games for Watford.

And the former France Under-21 international should bring some much-needed legs to a Toffees midfield which looked sluggish last season.

There is talk that Wolves are loaning out another player in Doucoure's position, Bruno Jordao, which could leave them scrambling for reinforcements in the final few weeks of the summer transfer window.

Fulham, on the other hand, are being tipped to strengthen in that part of the pitch, through the additions of Harrison Reed and Mario Lemina from Southampton.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/02/report-player-agrees-everton-terms-ahead-of-22m-transfer-and-has-rejected-wolves-and-fulham/

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Fulham reward boss Scott Parker with new three-year contract after steering the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking

    Fulham boss Scott Parker has penned a new three-year contract at the club
    Parker guided Fulham back to the Premier League at the first time of asking
    Former England star's side kick-start season against Arsenal on September 12

Former England midfielder Scott Parker has signed a new three-year deal as Fulham manager after leading the club back to the Premier League.

Parker, 39, won promotion from the Championship at the first try and said: 'I'm delighted to have signed a new deal which shows mutual faith and commitment, on both my side and the club's.

'There's a lot of hard work ahead, and we'll be striving to improve and progress every day.'


Scott Parker has signed a new three-year deal as Fulham boss after Premier League promotion

Parker was named Fulham caretaker manager in February 2019 following the departure of Claudio Ranieri and was appointed on a permanent basis three months later.

In his first full season in charge, Parker led Fulham to an immediate return to the top-flight after they beat Brentford 2-1 in the Championship playoff final.

Parker this week added to his squad by bringing in Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina on a season-long loan deal.

His Fulham side kick-start their Premier League campaign against Arsenal at Craven Cottage on September 12.


Fulham this week signed Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina on a season-long loan deal




https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8691433/Fulham-boss-Scott-Parker-pens-big-new-three-year-deal-steering-club-Premier-League.html

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Report: Fulham more likely than Aston Villa to hijack potential Grady Diangana deal

Fulham are more likely than Aston Villa to hijack West Bromwich Albion's bid to sign Grady Diangana from West Ham United, according to The Daily Star.

It has been reported that West Brom – who will play in the Premier League next season after winning automatic promotion from the Championship – have agreed a deal with West Ham to sign Diangana in the summer transfer window.

The winger spent the 2019-20 season on loan at the Baggies and played an important role in Slaven Bilic's side's successful quest to get back into the top fight of English football.

According to The Daily Star, West Brom have agreed to pay £12 million upfront to West Ham with a further £6 million in add-ons, although the winger's representatives are 'waiting to see if other clubs come in'.

The report has claimed that Villa have expressed interest in the 22-year-old, but Fulham – who will play in the Premier League next season after winning promotion from the Championship via the playoffs – 'are more likely to launch a last-minute bid'.

Win-win situation for West Ham United

West Ham seem to be willing to sell Diangana, and a potential late bid from Fulham will be welcomed by the Hammers.

After all, a bidding war over a 22-year-old winger who has played only a handful of games for the Hammers' first team is good for business.



https://sportslens.com/report-fulham-more-likely-than-aston-villa-to-hijack-potential-grady-diangana-deal/311446/

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Why Fulham have made a sensible move by signing 25-year-old Saints ace for £6m

Why Fulham signing Harrison Reed permanently makes perfect sense

According to Sky Sports, Fulham have agreed on a permanent deal with Southampton for midfielder Harrison Reed, who spent the previous campaign on loan at Craven Cottage in the Championship.

As per the report, the 25-year-old has joined Fulham for a fee of around £6million, having signed a 4-year deal contract with the West London outfit until the summer of 2024. The Cottagers have the option to extend his stay by a further year, thus effectively tying Reed down until 2025.

Profile
Born in Worthing, Harrison Reed rose through the youth ranks of Southampton before making his first-team breakthrough for the Saints during the 2013-14 season.

However, the former England U-20 international struggled to establish himself as a regular fixture at his boyhood club, making a meagre 17 PL appearances over the course of four seasons before venturing out on loan.

Reed spent the previous three seasons on loan at Championship clubs Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham. The midfielder featured 28 times in the league last term as the Cottagers beat Brentford in the playoffs to secure a return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

Why it's a fair deal for all parties
Fulham's promotion-winning campaign in the Championship last term was largely supported by star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic's 26-goal haul. However, there were several others who chipped in with significant contributions as the Cottagers made an immediate return to the Premier League.

The likes of Ivan Cavaleiro, Anthony Knockaert, Harrison Reed, Harry Arter, and Bobby Reid, all loan signings from various clubs last summer, were instrumental in Fulham's quest for promotion glory.

The West London outfit had already secured permanent deals for the likes of Cavaleiro, Knockaert, and Reid, and the decision to retain the services of Harrison Reed marks a continuation of the same policy.

Fulham opted for a complete squad overhaul back in the summer of 2018 following their promotion to the Premier League, thus resulting in the sidelining of several players who had been key to their promotion success. The new recruits failed to deliver miserably as Scott Parker's side were eventually relegated.

However, the Cottagers seem to have adopted a completely different approach in the transfer market this time around. The decision to complete permanent deals for several of last season's loanees mean that Fulham are prepared to show a lot of faith in the set of players who got them promoted.

Reed was a major contributor for Parker's side last term in the Championship, and the West Londoners will be hoping that he manages to prove his credentials in the top-flight after signing him up permanently.

The 25-year-old has played a handful of games for Southampton in the PL earlier in his career, so he's not completely new to the challenge.

Plus, the midfielder still has his best years ahead of him and with so much Championship loan experience under his belt, he could well continue to be a key player for Fulham in the top-flight moving forward.

Verdict
The acquisition of Harrison Reed on a permanent deal represents yet another piece of shrewd business as far as Fulham are concerned.

The midfielder is already integrated into Parker's setup, having spent the previous campaign on loan. That would save time required by a new player to acclimatise to his new surroundings, thus making things a lot easier for the manager.



https://www.mediareferee.com/2020/09/03/why-fulham-signing-harrison-reed-permanently-makes-perfect-sense/

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Report: Aston Villa want Grady Diangana, but hijacking West Brom's bid looks unlikely

According to the Daily Star, Aston Villa have expressed an interest in signing West Ham United winger Grady Diangana – but Fulham are more likely to launch a hijack attempt.

It's claimed that West Brom have agreed a deal to sign Diangana permanently, offering £12million rising to £18million.

However, Villa are keen too, expressing their interest in a move, though a hijack attempt doesn't seem to be imminent.

Fulham are described as being more likely to launch a last-gasp bid, with Scott Parker's side weighing up an offer that Villa seem unlikely to match.

Should Villa go for Diangana?

Villa need to find creativity out wide, and Diangana fits the bill as a cheaper alternative to Brentford's Said Benrahama.

Diangana racked up eight goals and six assists in 30 Championship games, averaging almost a goal contribution every other game.

A deeper dive shows that Diangana record 1.4 key passes per game and 2.4 successful dribbles per game, demonstrating the flair and creativity he possesses.

The price tag should be very appealing to Villa, and if they didn't have plans to swoop in for the West Ham talent, then they certainly should now.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/09/03/report-aston-villa-want-grady-diangana-but-hijacking-west-broms-bid-looks-unlikely/

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Taylor-Crossdale set for AFC Wimbledon loan move

Martell Taylor-Crossdale is expected to join AFC Wimbledon on loan from Fulham.

The striker, 20, left Chelsea to join Fulham last year but has not started a game for the Whites.

His only first-team appearance so far was as a substitute in a Carabao Cup tie against Southampton.

He is therefore set to move on loan in order to play regular matches.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/whites-youngster-set-for-afc-wimbledon-loan-move

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STADIUM STORE CLOSURE

Fans are advised that the Stadium Store will be closed this Saturday 5th September for maintenance works.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2020/september/Stadium-Store-Closure/