Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 18/01/22...

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Liverpool line up £5m move for Carvalho

Liverpool are preparing a £5m bid for Fulham playmaker Fabio Carvalho, according to the Sun.

With the talented teenager's Craven Cottage contract due to expire at the end of the season, the Premier League champions are about to test the Londoners' resolve to keep hold of Carvalho by tabling a January offer. Liverpool are ready to make their move as West Ham are also considering try to tempt Carvalho to east London in January.

The Sun suggests that Jorge Mendes is assisting Carvalho's brother in plotting the nineteen year-old's next move. Marco Silva remains hopeful of persuading the England youth international, who scored in Saturday's 6-2 thumping of Bristol City, to commit his future to the Cottagers – but Fulham are well aware that their academy graduate is attracting interest from right across Europe.

Liverpool signed Carvalho's former Fulham team mate Harvey Elliott last summer in an acrimonious transfer – the fee for which was eventually decided through a protracted tribunal process.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/01/liverpool-line-up-5m-move-for-carvalho/

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Birmingham City handed promising transfer message amid Anthony Knockaert links

Birmingham City transfer news as links to winger Anthony Knockaert, who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, are assessed

Anthony Knockaert is likely to leave Fulham this month in order to find more first-team football elsewhere, amid links with Birmingham City.

French winger Knockaert, 30, has played just 20 minutes of Championship football this season and he's understandably keen to get more first-team action, be that at Craven Cottage or elsewhere. Right now, the latter is a more likely bet.

Knockaert has found competition stern this season under Marco Silva; Fulham have a whole host of attacking options in the wide areas, including £10m summer signing Harry Wilson, Ivan Cavaleiro, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Fabio Carvalho.

It's left Knockaert, who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, on the sidelines, or as an unused substitute, so speculation linking him with a move to Blues is plausible.

Indeed, only this month boss Silva admitted that a number of his fringe players could leave in the January transfer window, solely because of the sheer size of the squad he has at his disposal and the desire for many to play more regularly.

"We have a big, big squad and there is the possibility of some players leaving the football club, even in a Covid situation where we have a lot of games in a row," Silva said, talking of Knockaert and midfielder Josh Onomah, among others.

Blues take on Fulham at Craven Cottage on Tuesday evening, when talks between senior figures on both sides of the fence are likely to take place.

Blues, of course, are also eager to bring defender Alfie Mawson to St Andrew's; the centre back is in a similar boat to Knockaert in that he's not first choice at the back and his contract is set to expire in the summer, but Silva's stance on Mawson is a little different.

The Portuguese boss is quite keen to retain Mawson until the summer at least, as he views him as adequate support for his first choice centre halves and his presence intensifies the competition.

"Alfie is our player, we will keep him I hope," Silva told West London Sport. "We have four central defenders plus [Terence] Kongolo, who we are trying to find a solution for him to go out on loan.

"I you ask me if Alfie and Hector want to play more, I will say 'of course', but football is like that, but the others are having a very good season and they will have to keep fighting to get the shirt.

"They always show full support to everything and when I talk to them they understand the situation, but they are not the happiest guys in the world because they want to play football. They have been professional which is what I expect and demand.

"Hector, Alfie and Josh (Onomah) all want more minutes and they are working hard, but the other players are playing really hard as well, but they all know my opinion and I want to keep them."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/birmingham-city-fulham-knockaert-transfer-22790031