Sunday Fulham Stuff - 05/09/21...

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West Ham target Fabio Carvalho will reportedly sign new deal with Fulham but is it just smoke and mirrors?

West Ham target Fabio Carvalho is set to sign a new contract with Championship outfit Fulham according to a report from TEAMtalk.

It is alleged that the 19-year-old is set to put pen to paper on a new deal at Craven Cottage.

Hammers boss David Moyes wanted to bring Carvalho to the London Stadium in the summer according to a report from the Daily Mail.

That obviously failed to materialise, however.

And now it looks like Carvalho could bet set to stay at Fulham. Or perhaps the west London outfit are merely protecting his value. He is set to be out of contract with the Cottagers next summer after all.

West Ham target Carvalho to pen new deal?

The 19-year-old midfield play-maker was in fine form for Fulham last season.

The teenager has made seven senior appearances for the west London outfit, scoring one goal in the process (Transfermarkt).

Carvalho has real talent and has racked up 33 goals and 19 assists in 82 games for Fulham's youth teams (Transfermarkt).

It seems as though he really impressed the powers that be at Craven Cottage, with a new deal in the offing according to a report from TEAMtalk.

Hammers News View

We think that this is a mere power play from Fulham.

Carvalho is clearly a huge talent. And the thought of losing him for nothing next summer was obviously a concerning one for the west London outfit.

Signing players up to new contracts before selling them on is common practice in the game today. And it is a sensible move from the smaller clubs who have talented players being targeted by so-called bigger clubs.

Whether Carvalho does end up signing a new contract with Fulham remains to be seen. If he doesn't the Hammers should be able to pick him up for a bargain fee in January.

If he does put pen to paper, however, West Ham's interest in the 19-year-old will be pushed to the limit as a sizeable transfer fee would then be required to prise him away from Craven Cottage.



https://www.hammers.news/transfer-news/west-ham-target-fabio-carvalho-will-reportedly-sign-new-deal-with-fulham-but-is-it-just-smoke-and-mirrors/

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Muniz: The Brazilian Take

Venê Casagrande covered Rodrigo Muniz's transfer very closely, so we caught up with the Brazilian football journalist to get his thoughts on Fulham's new striker.

What sort of forward is Muniz?

He is an area forward, as we like to say here in Brazil. A born centre forward. He is a good header of the ball, with good finishing power. Although he is tall and strong, he is not slow. In addition to being a good finisher, he has a tactical notion. He will evolve a lot in English soccer.

With lots of interest in his services, why do you think he chose Fulham?

In addition to Fulham, Middlesbrough also tried, Atletico Madrid, Al Nasr, from the United Arab Emirates. Several tried, but I think the project presented by Fulham was the one that pleased him the most.

What influence did Marco Silva have in convincing him to join?

Marco Silva was a key player in this story. He talked to the player. This helped a lot in the choice. Think about it yourself: playing in England, in a structured team, knowing that you will be used, having a good financial offer and having visibility. A better choice than this is impossible. Marco Silva wants to do to Muniz what he did to Richarlison. This is what Marco Silva said to the player and his managers.

He's still such a young player, too...

Young, and with a great future.

I dare say that he will be joining the Brazilian national team soon.

Venê Casagrande
Brazilian Football Journalist

Do you think he will have benefitted from training and playing alongside Gabriel Barbosa?

Not only with Gabriel, but with Pedro, [Giorgian de] Arrascaeta, Bruno Henrique, among others. Flamengo's cast makes anyone grow.

What does the Brazilian media make of Rodrigo Muniz's transfer to Fulham?

It was a great deal. Good value ​​for Flamengo, and Fulham could certainly sell in the future for a higher value than they paid. A good operation for all sides.

The English Championship is very different to the Brazilian top-flight – how do you see Muniz adapting?

I think the fact that Marco Silva speaks the Portuguese language can be a facilitator for him. It can be difficult at first, but Rodrigo Muniz is a player who has great adaptability. It was like that at Flamengo, when he left a small town to pursue his dream.

And finally, how do you think he will do in England and throughout his career?

I'll repeat: Rodrigo Muniz has the footballing ability to make the Brazilian national team. He will grow a lot and it won't be long before he shines in the Premier League.

You can follow Venê on Twitter @venecasagrande.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/september/Muniz-The-Brazilian-Take/

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Araujo signs professional deal with Fulham

Young defender Harvey Araujo has signed his first professional contract with Fulham, the club have confirmed this morning.

Araujo, who joined the Whites from Brentford aged twelve, made his debut for the club's under 18s as a substitute in the win at Reading in February 2020. He made fourteen appearances for Steve Wigley's side as the young Whites retained their Premier League Under 18 south title last season and has played in all three of the under 18's fixtures so far this season.

The adventurous left back, who is also comfortable playing at the heart of the defence, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal at Craven Cottage. Araujo, who has been capped by England at under 15 and under 16 level, told Fulham's official website:

"I'm really pleased and honoured to extend my time here at this club. Last season was a big achievement for me as I got regular football under my belt for the 18s, despite being an Under-16s player. his season, I want to aim to become one of the leading figures in this team and hopefully achieve further success. There have been plenty of ups and downs throughout my five years at the club so far and they have helped me to progress towards being the player I am today. I can happily say that this feels like home for me."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/araujo-signs-professional-deal-with-fulham/

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2 Fulham dilemmas that will be playing on Marco Silva's mind over the international break

It's been an excellent start to the season for Fulham, as they search for another immediate promotion from the Championship.

Following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, the Cottagers have responded in extremely impressive style at the start of this season.

Marco Silva's side have claimed 13 points from a possible 15 in their opening five league games, putting them top of the Championship table as we reach the September international break.

However, there are still some issues that Silva will no doubt want to address as he aims to fine-tune his side for their latest bid to make a swift return to the top-flight of English football this season.

So with that in mind, we've taken a look here, at two dilemmas that may well have given Silva plenty to think about over the course of this international break.

Fabio Carvalho contract
Having emerged onto the scene at the end of last season, Carvalho has continued to impress at the start of the campaign, scoring three goals and providing one assist in the Cottagers' five league games so far.

But with the 19-year-old's contract expiring at the end of this season, and a long list of clubs already linked with moves for the winger, Fulham could have a battle on their hands to retain the services of the teenager long-term.

Given the clear talent he possesses, it would be a big blow for Fulham to lose Carvalho so early in his career.

But given his contract situation means that international clubs could sign him for free on a pre-contract agreement as early as January, Silva will surely want to see an agreement secured for Carvalho sooner rather than later, to avoid coming under to much pressure with regards to the teenager's future.

Penalty problems
A string of penalty misses did not help Fulham as they slipped out of the Premier League last season, and while it hasn't been as big an issue this time around, it is something that still seems to be hanging over the Cottagers.

Aleksandar Mitrovic added another to the long list of spot kick failures for Fulham in their 3-0 win over Stoke in the final game before the international break, while Harry Wilson's miss from the spot for Wales against Finland earlier this week suggests he may not be the answer to the Cottager's issues from the 12 yards either.

That is something that could yet come back to haunt Fulham at some point this season if things continue in this way, given how decisive a spot kick could yet be in picking up an important result at some stage of the campaign.

You feel penalties may need to become a more regular feature on the club's training schedule in the weeks to come.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/2-fulham-dilemmas-that-will-be-playing-on-marco-silvas-mind-over-the-international-break/

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Liverpool transfer made up over 25% of summer spending in Championship

Liverpool's £12 million sale of Harry Wilson to Fulham was the most expensive deal of the summer in the Championship – accounting for over 25 percent of fees paid.

Wilson finally left the Reds in July after 16 years with the club, swapping Anfield for Craven Cottage having spent each of the previous three seasons out on loan.

His time with Derby, Bournemouth and Cardiff saw his reputation enhanced, with the Wales international's creativity and eye for goal convincing Fulham to sanction a big-money deal.

While it was £3 million lower than Liverpool had hoped, the £12 million package agreed with the Cottagers was a major one in the landscape of the Championship.

No other signing in the English second tier broke the eight-figure mark, while The Athletic's Philip Buckingham notes that "approximately £40 million was spent on transfer fees across the entire Championship."

That means Wilson's fee is worth over a quarter of the total spend across 24 clubs, with Fulham's outlay on Wilson and Brazilian striker Rodrigo Muniz (around £8 million) covering 50 percent of the division-wide spending.

It shows the power of parachute payments for clubs relegated from the Premier League, and also Fulham's faith in Wilson as a game-changing signing.

"Eight of the Championship's 24 clubs did not commit to a single transfer fee this summer, with 126 players signing across the second tier either as free agents or on loan," Buckingham adds.

"Only 37 deals are thought to have required an outlay to another club."

It is a remarkable shift for a league that is widely considered one of the most competitive despite not being top flight, with the impact of the pandemic and loss in revenue laid clear.

Wilson has begun life at Fulham in strong form, scoring twice and assisting once in three games, having also sat out of two Championship fixtures due to a red card suspension.

Only Stoke's Nick Powell has had a hand in as many goals from three outings, with 13 others directly contributing to more but having made at least one more appearance.

Three of those are Fulham players – Bobby Decordova-Reid, Fabio Carvalho and Aleksandar Mitrovic – with Marco Silva's side sitting top of the table with 13 points from five games so far.

Their status as outliers in the transfer market across the second tier could certainly be seen as a gamble, but it could pay off big time if Wilson is playing Premier League football with the Cottagers next season.



https://www.thisisanfield.com/2021/09/liverpool-transfer-made-up-over-25-of-summer-spending-in-championship/

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Mitrovic at the double for Serbia

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice in the space of thirteen first half minutes to set Serbia on their way to a 4-1 thrashing of Luxembourg in their latest World Cup qualifier in Belgrade.

The Fulham centre forward opened the scoring midway through the first period following sustained Serbian pressure when he latched onto a lovely through ball from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and effortlessly fired past the advancing Luxembourg goalkeeper. Mitrovic doubled his tally before the break with a trademark close-range header from Filip Kostic's cross before being substituted with seven minutes to go after injuring his cheekbone during a clash with a defender. Serbian coach Dragan Stojokovic suggested afterwards that the striker could be still be fit to face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Tuesday night.

Mitrovic now has 43 goals for his country in 65 games. It remains remarkable to me that Scott Parker preferred to play Ivan Cavaleiro as a centre forward for a substantial part of last season.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2021/09/mitrovic-at-the-double-for-serbia/

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Exclusive: Mark Crossley tips Aleksandar Mitrovic to fire Fulham to immediate promotion

Aleksandar Mitrovic is capable of single-handedly firing Fulham back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, according to former Cottagers goalkeeper Mark Crossley.

Mitrovic has made an impressive start to the Championship campaign, scoring four goals and notching two assists in five outings.

The Serbia international frontman, who is his country's all-time leading goalscorer, has played every minute of the new campaign and been tasked with grabbing the goals to ensure the west London club will return to the Premier League under new boss Marco Silva.

Fulham suffered relegation under previous manager Scott Parker last season, with 26-year-old Mitrovic powerless as he was restricted to just 13 top flight starts.

But, having scored 57 goals in 136 appearances since moving to Craven Cottage, Mitrovic has become a firm fans' favourite and Crossley has tipped Mitrovic to finish the campaign as the Championship's top goalscorer and record an immediate return to the Premier League.

He exclusively told TIF: "I can see him winning the Golden Boot. He'll be up there.

"The thing with him is you need to keep him interested. If your team is at the top of the league, he's going to be interested anyway. The main thing is keeping him fit because he is the best striker in the league.

"He could get Fulham promoted single-handedly."



https://thisisfutbol.com/2021/09/blogs/championship/fulham/exclusive-mark-crossley-tips-aleksandar-mitrovic-to-fire-fulham-to-immediate-promotion/

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'Amazing what confidence does' – These Fulham fans react as key man stars on international duty

Aleksandar Mitrovic's fine start to the season continued as he helped Serbia to a 4-1 win over Luxembourg yesterday.

The striker has scored four goals and registered two assists for the Cottagers in the opening five games of the Championship campaign, with the appointment of Marco Silva helping get Mitrovic back to his best.

And, he remains influential for the national team, as the 26-year-old struck twice as the Serbs recorded a comfortable victory over Luxembourg in their World Cup qualifier.

That ensured his country took a big step towards securing a top two finish in the group, which would mean they would be in the play-offs at a minimum.

As you would expect, Fulham fans were delighted to see their main man do well, as he continues to look transformed from the player that struggled in the Premier League last season.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/amazing-what-confidence-does-these-fulham-fans-react-as-key-man-stars-on-international-duty/

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Former Fulham player makes admission involving Aleksandar Mitrovic

Former Fulham goalkeeper Mark Crossley has told This is Futbol that he thinks Aleksandar Mitrovic can fire the Whites back to the Premier League this season.

The Serbian international has started the current campaign in fine form and already has four goals and two assists to his name in the league after five games so far.

Mitrovic last played in the Sky Bet Championship for the West London side back in the 2019/20 campaign and netted 26 goals in 41 league outings as Scott Parker's men got back into the top flight.

Now Crossley has stated his belief that the striker could well provide the difference again as he said the following:

"I can see him winning the Golden Boot. He'll be up there.

"The thing with him is you need to keep him interested. If your team is at the top of the league, he's going to be interested anyway. The main thing is keeping him fit because he is the best striker in the league.

"He could get Fulham promoted single-handedly."

The Serbian marksman has been Fulham's undoubted talisman for the best part of five seasons now and will be looking to add to his goal tally once he returns from international duty.

Mitrovic recently committed his long term future to the club by signing  a new contract which ties him to Craven Cottage until the summer of 2026.

The Verdict

It's hard to disagree with Crossley's comments on Mitrovic and his goals will certainly give Fulham a great chance of heading back to the top flight at the first attempt.

He seems to thrive at this level and is by far and away the most complete striker in the entire Football League.

The real bonus for Fulham is that he doesn't look like he will be going anywhere anytime soon after signing a new contract recently and the hope will be that he can continue in this current vein of form.

Marco Silva has rightly built his team around the Serb and the pressure will now be on his teammates to continue to present him with the best chances to score regularly.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/former-fulham-player-makes-admission-involving-aleksandar-mitrovic/