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

[WhiteJC]

Stoke City put in frame to sign centre-back after Fulham exit

Stoke City transfer news as Michael O'Neill looks for defensive addition

Stoke City have been put in the frame to sign free agent Alfie Mawson as Michael O'Neill continues his summer rebuild.

Mawson, aged 28, is a free agent after leaving Fulham, who he joined from Swansea in the summer of 2018 fresh from being an ever-present in their Premier League campaign and winning a call-up to the England squad.

It has been a difficult time at Fulham, partly due to injury, and he has spent 2020/21 on loan at Bristol City, then managed by Dean Holden, the current Stoke assistant boss. He returned to Fulham last season and made eight appearances, unable to dislodge first choice pair Tim Ream and Tosin Adarabioyo as they ran away with the Championship title.

He was released at the end of the season and Mirror Sport regular Ian Baker suggests that Stoke are now his most likely destination for the new campaign.

The Athletic reported: "Both Mawson and Michael Hector were well-regarded by the manager... They reflected the depth Fulham had built over their yo-yo years, both symbols of ambitious optimism that never quite flourished and a bulging, expensive, squad.

"Mawson was signed for a reported fee of £15m but suffered injuries. There have been at least five injury interruptions, mainly due to knee issues, and in total, he has missed 76 matches — including those when he was on loan at Bristol City last year.

"This season has seen him put those issues behind and he said he felt in better shape than ever. He was involved in Fulham's match-day squads throughout the season and his value was underlined by how Marco Silva ruled out moving him on in January. A popular figure around the club, he will be greatly missed off the field. He was regularly singled out by younger players for his support, with youngster Luke Harris the latest to name-check the defender, saying that Mawson spoke to him for 30 minutes before his first trip with the senior squad for a match against Sheffield United.

"Again, though, like Hector, he was unable to get in front of the first-choice pairing on the pitch, and the writing was on the wall."

Ben Wilmot has been top of the bill on the left side of a back three for Stoke through pre-season, with Morgan Fox used in a 2-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday. Aden Flint has also arrived, Phil Jagielka has signed a short-term contract and Connor Taylor is back from a loan at Bristol Rovers, signing a new long-term deal. Will Forrester is attracting loan interest. Harry Souttar is recovering from a long-term knee injury.

O'Neill has been clear that he would like to add another defender - and left-sided centre-backs are hard to find.

Mawson has been recently linked with a return to League One Wycombe Wanderers, where he spent an eye-catching season on loan from Brentford in 2014/15 before joining Barnsley. He moved to Swansea and the top flight after excelling at Oakwell - winning promotion playing in front of Adam Davies - and was a regular in South Wales.

Holden said when he signed Mawson two years ago: "He's a fantastic player first and foremost. Delighted to sign him. The first time I spoke to him he was very keen to want to join. There were some big clubs in for him in the Championship.

"We had a real good honest chat on why he came out of the team with a knee injury at Fulham and how that panned out in the second half of the season. Also his thoughts on making a push and getting back into the Premier League.

"Everything he told me I've felt really good about. He's a top player and a good character and he puts demands on himself and the players around him. He's going to be a great addition."

Mawson played 14 times for Bristol City and although he was again forced into the treatment room, he has looked at that time out as motivation.

"I've been riddled with injuries," he said at the start of last season. "It comes back to personal decisions off the pitch, diet, etc. Just doing things that aren't going to benefit you.

"Sometimes you have to get away from it and an injury can be one of the best things for you. When I did my MCL (medial collateral ligament, in the knee) last season, I could see the fans were starting to fill back into stadiums and I just thought: 'I want to get back out there and be as involved as I can be'."



https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/stoke-city-transfer-alfie-mawson-7365589

[WhiteJC]

Jim Ross Points Out Similarity Between Tony Khan And Vince McMahon

AEW Commentator Jim Ross believes the President of All Elite Wrestling, Tony Khan, is on "the verge of becoming overloaded" with all the projects he manages daily. On top of running All Elite Wrestling, Khan is also the co-owner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars and the English soccer team Fulham F.C. He also recently added being the Owner of Ring of Honor to his list of duties.

Khan's father, Shahid Khan, recently ranked sixth among the wealthiest owners in the NFL, but unfortunately, that hasn't led to much success for the team on the field. The Jaguars ranked dead last in the NFL for two straight seasons while Tony's other club, Fulham, is currently gearing up to play in the Premier League after being promoted this past season.

With Tony spending his Wednesdays and the occasional weekend working in AEW, that leaves him very little time to run his other companies, and "Good Ole' J.R." believes that's becoming an issue.

"Because he's a one-man band," Ross said during the latest episode of the "Grilling JR" podcast. "He's tremendous in how he manages all the projects and they're not mickey mouse projects. You're talking about a major soccer club in England, you're talking about an NFL franchise in Jacksonville."

Although McMahon isn't currently the active CEO and Chairman of WWE right now, he and Khan do share one thing in common, according to Ross. With Tony spending so much time devoting himself to the success of AEW and his other companies, Ross compared one aspect of the way they live their lives.

"So [Tony Khan] doesn't really have a life; his life is the products he manages," Ross said. "In that respect, he's McMahon-like because Vince has no life other than the wrestling business."



https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2022/07/jim-ross-points-out-similarity-between-tony-khan-and-vince-mcmahon/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham agree deal to sign Kevin Mbabu

Fulham are reportedly set to complete the signing of Kevin Mbabu from VfL Wolfsburg in a deal worth an initial fee of £6 million.

According to 90 Min, Fulham have agreed a deal with German outfit VfL Wolfsburg for the transfer of Swiss right-back Kevin Mbabu. The 27-year-old is expected to complete his medical imminently before the move is finalised.

Mbabu has been with Wolfsburg since 2019, when he arrived from BSC Young Boys. The defender has since been a regular in the side for the Bundesliga club. He has made 82 appearances for the Wolves, scoring three and assisting five goals. But having entered the final year of his contract with the club, an exit was very much on the cards for him.

Fulham were in the market for a new right-back this summer and were linked with several players. Neco Williams, who spent the second half of the last season on loan with the Cottagers, was a top target. But he ended up signing for Nottingham Forest. It forced them to look at alternatives, with the London club setting their sights on Mbabu.

Talks with Wolfsburg over a deal had been underway for quite some time now and as per the report, the two clubs have now reached an agreement over a transfer. Fulham will be paying the German outfit an initial fee of £6 million for Mbabu, although the overall value of the operation could be higher due to the add-ons involved.

The report states that Mbabu will complete his medical imminently before signing for the London club. Reports on Wednesday claimed that there had been a roadblock in talks as Fulham were unwilling to match the Swiss international's €3 million per year wage demands. However, it seems like the issue has been resolved, and the defender will soon be a Cottager.

Should he arrive, Mbabu will become Fulham's third major signing of the summer following in the footsteps of Andreas Pereira, who arrived from Manchester United, and Joao Palhinha, who signed from Sporting CP. The Cottagers also have a deal in place to sign Manor Solomon from Shakhtar Donetsk, although the move has been delayed due to administrative issues.

Mbabu, should he make the move, will be gearing up for his second stint in England, having previously had a forgettable spell at Newcastle United.



http://www.thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2022/07/22/fulham-agree-deal-to-sign-kevin-mbabu/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham looking at Lucumi

Fulham are ready to battle Bournemouth in a bid to sign the Genk centre back Jhon Lucumi, according to reports from the Colombian international's homeland.

Marco Silva is desperate to add defensive recruits in the final weeks of Fulham's pre-season given that he has only has two senior centre backs currently available during the Whites' pre-season tour of Portugal. An audacious move for Alessio Romagnoli failed earlier this month and, while Fulham remain interested in Tottenham's Joe Rodon, they are interested in signing 24 year-old Lucumi, who has less than a year to run on his current contract in Belgium.

Genk are ready to contemplate a summer sale rather than losing the ball-playing centre half on a free transfer but Fulham will need to see off former manager Scott Parker, whose Bournemouth side are also looking for defensive reinforcements ahead of their return to the top flight. Lucumi joined Ghenk in 2018 having made more than a hundred appearances for his hometown club Deportivo Cali and won the Belgian title in his first season with the Smurfs.

Lucumi, who has also lifted the Belgian Cup with Genk, has made 134 appearances in four seasons with Genk and has reportedly featured on Atalanta's radar, although the Serie A side have yet to make a firm offer for his services. The 6ft 1in defender, who has won five senior caps for his country, has amassed Champions' League and Europa League experience during his time on the continent and is believed to be intrigued by the prospect of playing Premier League football.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/07/fulham-looking-at-lucumi/