Friday Fulham Stuff - 15/07/22...

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's U18s put six past Rio Ave

Fulham's under 18s made it two wins from two on the club's academy pre-season tour of Portugal with a 6-0 thrashing of Rio Ave's under 19 side.

Ali Melloul's side took little time to settle and were quickly the dominant force in the contest played in sapping heat. Delano McCoy-Splatt clipped a curling free-kick against the top of the crossbar but the young Whites – playing in a fetching pink kit – went in front after only eight minutes when Brad de Jesus fired home following a spot of pinball in the Rio Ave area.

Summer signing from Oldham Damon Park doubled the side with his first goal for Fulham on 20 minutes. The elegant centre half lashed in a superb rising drive into the top corner after de Jesus had glanced a deep corner back into Park's path. It wasn't all one way traffic with Fulham indebted to a fine save from Alfie McNally, who did brilliantly to divert a close range effort onto the frame of the goal, for keeping their clean sheet intact.

But the Londoners were always threatened further goals. A third arrived from the penalty spot courtesy of McCoy-Splatt after Terrell Works was upended in the area. Ollie Gofford made it 4-0 before half time with a lovely header over the stranded Rio Avenue goalkeeper, who must have been wondering why he'd risen from his bed by this point.

Fulham's sense of adventure was only strengthened by several half-time substitutes. One of those introduced, forward Callum Osmand, was desperately unlucky not to score on two occasions, but he made up for it by scoring a stupendous fifth – which screamed into the top right hand corner from outside the box – and tapping into an unguarded net after a dreadful mistake by the unfortunate Rio Ave custodian.

FULHAM UNDER 18s (4-2-3-1): McNally; de Fougorelles, Nsasi, Park, Esenga; Parker, McCoy-Splatt; Gofford, Gordon, de Jesus; Works. Subs: Conway, Bogle-Campbell, Nwoko, Quashie, Loupalo-Bi.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/07/fulhams-u18s-put-six-past-rio-ave/

[WhiteJC]

Opinion: The transfer stance Fulham player should take on potential Middlesbrough loan move

Championship side Middlesbrough have revived their interest in Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz, according to a Twitter update from journalist Vene Casagrande.

The Teesside outfit first expressed an interest in the Brazilian last summer but were unable to get a deal over the line before the Cottagers won the race for his services, with Marco Silva recruiting the young forward as a backup option to Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Although he made a respectable 25 league appearances during the 2021/22 campaign, most of these displays came from the bench with his impact being severely limited during his first season in English football.

The Cottagers' promotion may have helped to soften the blow – but at 21 – Muniz needs to start playing every week if he wants to fulfil his potential.

He could get the opportunity to play regularly at the Riverside Stadium, with Andraz Sporar, Aaron Connolly and Folarin Balogun all leaving the club on the expiration of their loan deals, leaving Boro with just a few options up top.

Two of these existing options in Chuba Akpom and Uche Ikpeazu have been told they can find new clubs this summer, leaving Duncan Watmore and Josh Coburn as Chirs Wilder's two main players in the forward department at this stage.

Considering Watmore's limited role during 2021/22 and Coburn's inexperience, you would back Muniz to be ahead of them in the pecking order but you could easily see Boro bringing in as many as three new forwards during the summer window.

Wilder may operate with two up top – but other possible additions like target Thomas Henry could also be strong candidates to be regular starters.

And there's a real risk Muniz will be left out of the starting lineup in favour of permanent additions during 2022/23, in Wilder's potential quest to have a settled starting lineup for the coming years.

If he isn't going to be a regular starter on Teesside, then he may as well save himself the hassle and remain in the English capital at this stage because the promoted side's lack of signings means he could be a valuable squad player during the early stages of this upcoming term.

This is why he should be seeking reassurances on how much game time he would be getting at the Riverside before deciding whether to make the temporary move up north.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/opinion-the-transfer-stance-fulham-player-should-take-on-potential-middlesbrough-loan-move/

[WhiteJC]

Portugal Friendlies To Be Streamed On FFCtv

We are pleased to inform fans that all three of our matches in Portugal this month will be streamed live on FFCtv.

Marco Silva's men face OGC Nice and SL Benfica this weekend, Saturday and Sunday respectively, with both matches kicking-off at 8.15pm, before travelling to the boss' former club Estoril on Sunday 24th July (5.45pm).

Fans with a monthly FFCtv subscription will be able to watch the games via the official website or our App. You can subscribe to FFCtv, which is also the only way to access live commentary and extended highlights from all First Team matches, at this link.

Please note that due to licensing laws, we are only able to stream these matches to UK-based subscribers.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/july/14/portugal-friendlies-to-be-streamed-on-ffctv/

[WhiteJC]

Preview: Nice vs. Fulham - prediction, team news, form guide

Newly-promoted Fulham kick off their preparations for the 2022-23 Premier League season with a trip to Portugal to take on Ligue 1 side Nice at Estadio Algarve.

Marco Silva's side are yet to take to the field in friendly action this term, while Les Aiglons recently played out a 1-1 draw with Belgian side Cercle Brugge.

Match preview
What started out as a promising tale between Nice and Christophe Galtier ended in somewhat bitter fashion, as the Frenchman departed the Allianz Riviera after just one season to replace Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain.

Les Aiglons could have ended the 2021-22 season having secured Champions League football and with a Coupe de France trophy in the cabinet, but Galtier's side ultimately dropped to fifth place - settling for Europa Conference League football in the process - and they lost in the Coupe de France final to Nantes.

Lucien Favre has returned to Nice for a second spell at the club after the club allowed Galtier to head for the Parc des Princes, and the ex-Borussia Dortmund boss saw his side begin pre-season with a 1-1 draw versus Cercle Brugge, as Andy Delort opened the scoring within eight minutes before a Yannis Nahounou own goal.

The Aiglons boss insisted that the draw was "not bad" on the whole, as the 64-year-old got a good look at all of his players ahead of an unforgiving camp in Portugal, which sees Nice take on Benfica a day before the battle with the Cottagers.

Torino and Roma will then pit their wits against Nice before their Ligue 1 campaign begins against Toulouse on August 7 - another newly-promoted side - so doing battle with Fulham is undoubtedly ideal preparation for the continental contenders.

Returning to the Premier League at the first attempt, Fulham have been handed one of the most challenging top-flight openers that the organisers had to offer, as Marco Silva's side take on Liverpool on the opening day at Craven Cottage.

Possessing a striker in Aleksandar Mitrovic who can hit 43 goals in one Championship season is a surefire formula for success for Fulham, who have already made two eye-catching midfield signings in Andreas Pereira and Joao Palhinha this summer.

The likes of Fabio Carvalho, Jean Michael Seri and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa have all ended their stints with the Cottagers, who will not have fond memories of their most recent game, which ended in a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Sheffield United.

As is the case with Nice, Fulham also have two fixtures in the space of 24 hours to contend with, as Silva's side will do battle with Benfica on Sunday before meeting Estoril and Villarreal later this month.

Nice Club Friendlies 1 form:

    D

Team News
It remains to be seen how Nice will line up for the contest with Fulham, with Favre potentially splitting the group in two given that the tie with Benfica lies 24 hours beforehand.

Les Aiglons lost goalkeeper Walter Benitez to PSV Eindhoven earlier this summer, but they responded by bringing in Marcin Bulka on a permanent transfer from Paris Saint-Germain after the 22-year-old helped Nice knock Les Parisiens out of the Coupe de France on penalties last term.

Thirty-eight-year old Dante could marshal the defence against Fulham, and former loanee Mario Lemina would be a familiar face in the engine room if he is selected for this encounter.

Fulham boss Silva could adopt a similar approach to that of his counterpart, with one half of his side doing battle with Benfica while the other test their mettle against Nice.

Palhinha ought to make his debut for the Cottagers in his homeland alongside Pereira, and Silva is not reported to be working with any injuries at present, which should see all members of the squad test themselves against high-level opposition.

The Cottagers are pushing to complete deals for Manor Solomon and Bernd Leno before the start of the season, but Marek Rodak remains in possession of the number one jersey for the time being.

We say: Nice 1-1 Fulham
It is difficult to know what to expect from both sides given the extremely tight turnaround in between fixtures, but Fulham's new midfield men ought to add some steel to the engine room over the weekend.

Nice were far from outstanding in their draw with Cercle Brugge as they re-adjust to life under Favre, and we have faith in the Cottagers to hold Les Aiglons to a score draw.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/nice/preview/preview-nice-vs-fulham-prediction-team-news-form-guide_490039.html?cQx=NN&newsnow

[WhiteJC]

Luca Ashby-Hammond loaned to Aldershot

Fulham goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond has joined Aldershot Town on a season-long loan.

The England youth international has already appeared for the Shots as a trialist in the 4-0 win over Badshot Lea. The 21 year-old gained some experience of senior football on loan at Stockport County towards the end of last term, having excelled in Fulham's academy in recent years.

Aldershot will be looking to improve on narrowly avoiding relegation from the National League last season and their league campaign gets underway against Solihull Moors on Saturday 6 August.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/07/fulhams-portugal-tour-to-be-streamed-live/

[WhiteJC]

David Moyes tells West Ham to 'stop everything' in player sale – 'Wants to wait'

RMC Sport journalist Loic Tanzi today shares surprising news regarding Issa Diop's transfer from West Ham United to Fulham.

The reporter claims that even though the move was 'very close', there's now an issue blocking the defender's arrival at the Craven Cottage.

Tanzi claims that West Ham boss David Moyes has asked those involved to 'stop everything' for the moment, as he 'wants to wait' before making a final decision on the transfer.

The story points out the very same manager had already 'announced' to Diop that he is is fifth in the hierarchy for a place in the team, but still, he's not overly certain about letting the player go.

It was at the start of the month that Loic Tanzi claimed the 25-year-old was set to leave West Ham for Fulham, as there were only 'details left' in a move which would cost the Cottagers €20m.

Now with Moyes having doubts about it, perhaps he's thinking about giving Diop a new chance at the Hammers in the upcoming season, even though he was only used 24 times during the 2021-22 campaign.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/david-moyes-tells-west-ham-stop-everything-player-sale-wants-wait/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham studying bids received for forward – Cottagers would prefer him to stay in England

Last week, we saw the Brazilian media claiming Fulham have been receiving approaches for the loan of Rodrigo Muniz.

It was said the Cottagers had been 'studying' the possibility of letting him go, while Middlesbrough were one of the clubs interested in the signing.

Now a new update comes from UOL, who back up that Fulham have been analysing the approaches to loan Muniz, and it's said all of them come from the Championship.

The Cottagers, however, don't think of letting the player go for good.

He 'continues to be seen' as a player with growing potential, which is the main reason why they'd rather keep him in English football.

This time, it isn't said if Middlesbrough are still one of the main candidates for the signing, and the names of the others in the race aren't mentioned.

Fulham spent €8m to sign Muniz from Brazilian side Flamengo a year ago.

He wasn't a starter at the Brazilian side at the time, and things weren't different in London, but he still managed to score five goals in 28 appearances in his first year in English football.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-studying-bids-received-forward-cottagers-favour-transfer-english-football/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham 'in the mix' to sign Chelsea man whilst update emerges regarding target

All the latest Fulham news and rumours on Thursday.

Fulham will be looking to establish themselves as a Premier League club over the next few years.

The London outfit have struggled in the top flight in the past couple of times they have found themselves at that level though and will be under no illusion as to how difficult next term will be.

They stormed to the Championship title last term and have brought in Joao Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon and Andreas Pereira from Manchester United so far this summer.

Here is a look at all the latest news coming out of the club today....

Chelsea man on radar
Fulham are reportedly keen on Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

The youngster spent last term on loan at Huddersfield Town and helped the Yorkshire club reach the play-off final.

TalkSPORT claim the Cottagers are 'in the mix' to land him this summer along with Southampton and Leicester City.

Silva's side were linked with a move for Manchester United centre-back Eric Bailly earlier in this transfer window.

The Ivory Coast international wasn't interested in a move to Craven Cottage though, as per The Mirror.

He has a new suitor now in the form of Italian giants Napoli, with AreaNapoli claiming that they want to lure him away from England.

Leno update
It has been well-documented that Fulham want to sign goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Arsenal.

The Germany international has lost his place as number one at the Emirates Stadium to Aaron Ramsdale.

TalkSPORT report that he has 'pleaded' with his current club to not price him out a move away in this window.



https://www.londonworld.com/sport/football/fulham/fulham-in-the-mix-to-sign-chelsea-man-whilst-update-emerges-regarding-target-3768750

[WhiteJC]

Mr Khan Interview

On his ninth anniversary at the Club, Fulham Chairman Shahid Khan speaks with Ivan Berry to discuss summer business, season expectations, and the Riverside Stand.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/july/14/mr-khan-interview/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham still 'negotiating' with club over transfer – Talks 'are not easy' on €3-6m deal

Fulham remain interested in a deal for Wolfsburg defender Kevin Mbabu, but talks between the two clubs 'are not easy'.

That's according to journalist Florian Plettenburg, who provides an update on the potential transfer today.

Mbabu has been linked with a move to newly promoted Fulham for several weeks, with it claimed earlier this month that they had 'reached an agreement' with Wolfsburg to sign the defender.

That same report stated they still needed to do the same with the player, who was yet to agree on the terms of his potential deal at Craven Cottage.

lettenburg now says it is that which is holding things up, reporting that Mbabu 'still has no agreement' with Fulham.

Furthermore, both clubs are still 'negotiating' the terms of the transfer, which would be sealed for a fee between €3-6m, meaning earlier reports to the contrary might have been slightly optimistic.

It seems the reality is that Fulham like the defender and are keen on a deal, but negotiations with both him and his club are yet to progress as they might have hoped they would.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-still-negotiating-club-transfer-talks-not-easy-e3-6m-deal/

[WhiteJC]

West Ham and Fulham in potential battle over free agent – Player already knows PL well

Since they are going after Kevin Mbabu, it's rather clear that Fulham are keen on a new right-back.

However, the Switzerland international isn't the only man on their list, as players from the French market have been linked with a move to Craven Cottage.

That being said, much like the seemingly ghost battle the Italian media created for Luca Pellegrini, one of the players on Fulham's list is also being targeted by West Ham United.

That man is Djibril Sidibé, whose contract with Monaco ran out two weeks ago, thus making him a free agent.

Well-known in the Premier League due to his loan spell at Everton, the France international (18 caps) is currently looking for his next opportunity, which West Ham and Fulham could give him.

This comes courtesy of But! Football Club, who state that while the Cottagers are struggling to convince Lyon to let Léo Dubois leave on loan, they've also cast their net towards Sidibé.

The website state that 'his cost (free) and his versatility are a real plus for the promoted club', before adding that 'West Ham have also shown their interest' for the player.

Something to keep an eye on.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/west-ham-fulham-potential-battle-free-agent-player-already-knows-pl-well/

[WhiteJC]

Bernd Leno asks Arsenal to reduce his £11m asking price to seal Fulham transfer

Bernd Leno has asked Arsenal to reduce his asking price in order to secure his move to Fulham this summer, according to reports.

The 30-year-old joined the Gunners in a £22.5 million deal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2018 and was their regualr goalkeeper for three seasons.

But following Aaron Ramsdale's arrival last year, Leno started just four times in the Premier League last season and made only eight appearances in all competitions.

Fulham are keen to sign the German goalkeeper but are refusing to meet Arsenal's £11m valuation.

According to talkSPORT, Leno is desperate to leave Arsenal and his representatives now want the club to lower their asking price 'as a mark of respect' to his four years with the Gunners.

Arsenal have already signed United States international Matt Turner as a replacement for Leno.

Speaking last month, Leno's agent, Joannis Koukoutrigas, insisted that Leno should still be considered as Arsenal's No.1 goalkeeper.

'He is a German national goalkeeper, has always performed well at Arsenal and is an absolute team player,' Koukoutrigas told Bild.

'For me personally, Bernd is also the clear No.1 at Arsenal. With all due respect to the competitors.



https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/14/bernd-leno-asks-arsenal-to-reduce-his-11m-asking-price-to-seal-fulham-transfer-17002515/?ito=newsnow-feed

[WhiteJC]

Prem rivals snatch 'outstanding' Newcastle target after Fulham move collapsed

Brentford have confirmed the signing of former Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha with the one-time Fulham and Newcastle United target finally arriving in the Premier League, via the club's official website.

From Fulham to Crystal Palace, Newcastle United to Chelsea, Southampton to Manchester United; Strakosha has certainly been around the houses this summer.

Marco Silva's Cottagers agreed a four-year deal with the Albania international at the start of the window, only to see the transfer fall apart after the two parties failed to agree personal terms (Gianluca Di Marzio). 

Newcastle showed an interest too before opting for a more proven, Premier League operator in Nick Pope. Ditto Crystal Palace and Sam Johnstone. 

So no wonder Brentford are thrilled to get Strakosha through the door, given the sheer amount of interest in the Greek-born glovesman. Did we mention Strakosha, who joins the Bees on a free transfer, was valued in the £20 million bracket as recently as 12 months ago?

Thomas Strakosha joins Brentford

"I am pleased," beams head coach Thomas Frank.  "A top goalkeeper.

"He has been number one at Lazio for a long time, which is very impressive. He has played in Serie A and European competition and will bring that experience with him."

Strakosha is far from guaranteed a starting spot in West London, however. David Raya will not be an easy man to usurp after all.

"I'm very pleased that Thomas has joined us," adds Brentford goalkeeping coach Manu Sotela. "With him in our goalkeeper union, we will have a nice competition that will provide a step up for everyone. 

"He fits perfectly with the sort of goalkeeper we want here. He can give us a lot of solutions playing from the back. He's an outstanding shot stopper and is very good positionally. When we spoke to him, he showed his desire to come and work hard to make himself and our other goalkeepers better."

While Crystal Palace and Newcastle appear to brought an end to their shot-stopper search – Southampton also snapped up Gavin Bazunu from Manchester City – Fulham are in danger of seeing another high-profile transfer fall through.

Fulham are yet to meet Arsenal's price-tag for German international Bernd Leno, despite weeks of talks.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/07/14/prem-rivals-snatch-outstanding-newcastle-target-after-fulham-move-collapsed/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham closing in on more signings, says Khan

Fulham are closing in on further signings, owner Shahid Khan has said in an interview with the club website.

The Whites completed the signing of Andreas Pereira from Manchester United earlier this week and have also added Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha to Marco Silva's squad.

And Khan says the club are not far from sealing further acquisitions as they prepare for life back in the Premier League.

"I think we have a couple more, that we're waiting for formalities to be announced," he said.

"Our goal is to strengthen in any way we can. Obviously, the key constraint we have is (Financial) Fair Play rules, so we want to comply with those but other than that we'll have a couple more really high-quality players to be announced in the near future and we have more in the pipeline."

Fulham have been relegated from the Premier League in both of their most recent seasons in the top flight but Khan is optimistic of a change in fortunes this time around.

"My hope is like every Fulham supporter. Our goal is that we want to stay up," he went on to say.

"We are a small but ambitious club that has to comply with the Fair Play regulations, so we've got to generate revenue and then invest it in the club.

"My goal is that this stand (the new Riverside stand) will be close to opening up, generating the revenue that we can invest back in the squad, and become permanent residents of the Premier League. That's our goal long-term."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-closing-in-on-more-signings

[AJW48361]

FFP are we potentially in Big Danger of failing the criteria this Season?By the way the ground looks Sensational CC totally unique.Good Interview with SK he looks committed to the cause.