Thursday Fulham Stuff - 28/07/22...

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'Excellent choice': Star's parents say he snubbed 'better offers' for Fulham

Manor Solomon's parents are delighted to see the Shakhtar Donetsk winger finally seal a long-awaited move to Premier League newcomers Fulham, speaking to One while deeming the Cottagers an 'excellent choice'.

13th April. 

That was the day when reports first emerged claiming that the Cottagers had agreed a £25,000-a-week contract with an Israel international who, after attracting interest from Arsenal and Manchester City in previous windows, appeared to be on his way to England at long last.

But Fulham fans still had to wait three-and-a-bit months before Solomon could finally be confirmed as a member of Marco Silva's squad. And the snake-hipped winger – who scored two sublime goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League – won't be registered until August either, due to FIFA legislation surrounding players leaving Ukrainian football.

Nonetheless, Solomon should be in contention for Fulham's Premier League opener against Liverpool. A game which the 23-year-old's parents are expected to attend.

Manor Solomon finally seals Fulham move

"We're very happy and excited," beams Ayala Solomon, the winger's mother. "We wish him success and believe in him. 

"We want that he will finally start playing football (again), because that is what he wants most in the world. The last period was very difficult because there was constant uncertainty, tension and pressure. 

"Difficulty choosing what is right and what is wrong. Which league is right for him. It was not easy.

"I think he made an excellent choice (joining Fulham). This is a good team for him. He'll be a significant player." 

Solomon's parents will travel to London next week, according to One, before Liverpool's trip to Craven Cottage on the weekend curtain-raiser.

"The coach (Marco Silva) really wanted him and was in contact with him," adds Yossi, Solomon's father. "Even though there were financially better offers, he wanted Fulham."

According to claims from Israel, Solomon even chose the Cottagers over Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/07/27/excellent-choice-stars-parents-say-he-snubbed-better-offers-for-fulham/

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Fulham's Greatest Scorer: Dempsey

Clint Dempsey is Fulham's all-time leading Premier League scorer, with 50 top flight goals for the Club to his name.

One of the most popular players in recent times thanks to his never-say-die attitude and commitment, Clint was there for some of the most historic moments Fulham fans have ever witnessed.

Stephen Watson, of the Fulham Texas supporters club, explains why you should vote for the man who scores with his left, scores with his right...

Clint Dempsey

Fulham apps: 231

Fulham goals: 60

Next up: Jim McGullion on Allan Clarke



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/july/27/fulhams-greatest-scorer-clint-dempsey/

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Who Is Bernd Leno?

With Arsenal's German shot-stopper close to signing for the Whites, Matthew Aris takes a look at our mooted new man between the sticks.

After an up and down season last year, Marek Rodak seems to now be out of favour at Fulham and a new number one appears imminent. Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno seems to have drawn some excitement from the fanbase as a potential replacement, but is this justified and what can he bring to this new-look Fulham side?

Rise to North London
Leno was born near Stuttgart in Germany. He then joined Stuttgart in 2009, progressing through the youth team ladder before getting a loan move to Bayer Leverkusen in 2011. There, he became the third goalkeeper in Bundesliga history to keep three clean sheets in his first three matches. After that, it got even better for Leno, as he became the youngest German goalkeeper to play in the Champions League. The five-month loan became permanent in November of that year. This would lead to the German making more than 300 appearances for Leverkusen across seven seasons.

Leno's good form led to Arsenal purchasing the shot stopper for £22.5m in summer of 2018. He was initially used as a cup goalkeeper, featuring many times in Europe. However, after Petr Cech's frequent injuries and eventual retirement, Leno become the Gunner's number one. He has made more than 100 appearances for Arsenal, including 15 in the Europa league. He was runner-up in Arsenal's player of the season award in 2019/20 and was part of the FA cup winning side that year. He has since lost his place under Mikel Arteta after he opted for the youthful Aaron Ramsdale as his number one.

He has only featured a handful of times for his national team, mainly due to the longevity and excellence of Manuel Neuer. He has featured in Euro 2016 qualifiers and the 2017 Confederations Cup, but has never started in a major international tournament.

What does he add?
Marek Rodak has had a lot of support from Fulham fans after graduating from the academy, but is there a reason to upgrade? The statistics show that during Leno's last full season, 2020/21, he was a top 10 Premier League goalkeeper. He is great sweeper keeper, frequently coming out of his box and claiming crosses. His great command of his penalty box would allow Fulham to be much more secure at the back and concede fewer goals from crosses.

The German frequently out-performs his expected goals conceded as well, meaning that he lets in fewer goals than would be expected given the quality of chance he is up against. This will be vital for a side towards the lower end of the Premier League, as we saw with Alphonse Areola during our last top flight campaign.

On the other hand, Leno's distribution, especially longer passes, is quite poor. He has one of the lowest pass completion rates for 40+ yard passes in the league. He also has a very short average length of pass.

Given Marco Silva's preference to play out from the back, this shouldn't be a dramatic issue, but it could render the long ball outlet to Mitrovic less effective, making it simpler for the opposition to anticipate our structure of play.

Hit or miss
On first look, Leno seems a good addition to the backline and will most likely save us in some games this season. It could spell the end of Marek Rodak's time at Fulham although I think most fans would agree that there is no room for sentimentality at this crucial juncture.

For a relatively cheap fee of £10m and a pay cut reportedly being taken, the financial side seems favourable as well.  The upsides heavily outweigh the few downsides; therefore, I think Leno would be a good pick-up for the Whites.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2022-07-27-who-is-bernd-leno/

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Arsenal Goalkeeper closing in on £8 million switch to Fulham

Arsenal's now second-choice goalkeeper is on his way out of the Emirates stadium, however, he will stay in London with Fulham the team trying to snatch him up from them.

After returning to the Premier League, Fulham and their manager Marco Silva prepare for another season in the English top flight. The Cottagers have had plenty of relegations and promotions to the Premier League in the last decade. But this time, they look to stay longer in the top flight.

The club have been busy in the summer transfer window to reinforce its ranks ahead of the new season. So far, Fulham have signed four players while bidding adieu to plenty of players. Joao Palhinha (from Sporting Lisbon) and Andreas Pereira (from Manchester United) remain their primary imports. Both players have signed five and four-year contracts, respectively, at the club.

They are also close to signing Wolfsburg's Kevin Mbabu but they know that a lot more business is to be done to make the team more competitive in the Premier League this season.

Fulham Are Now Working On Bernd Leno Deal

Fulham are now working towards adding Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno to their list of imports this season. The German shot-stopper has fallen out of favour at the Emirates. After three seasons of being Arsenal's #1, Mikel Arteta has deemed the German expendable, owing to the great exploits of Aaron Ramsdale last season.

Leno made 125 appearances for Arsenal over four seasons.  But the German keeper let in nine goals in the first three games last season, which put Arsenal down in the bottom three at the start of the campaign.

As a result, he was dropped from the starting lineup and featured in only eight games in all competitions. The English goalkeeper has since made the spot his own with some exceptional performances for the Gunners last season.

With regular football on offer, Leno might be tempted to make the switch to the southwest of London. The initial few offers from Fulham were rejected by Arsenal who demanded a fee in the region of £12 million. But recent reports suggest that the Gunners are willing to accept the current fee bid by Fulham.



https://thetopflight.com/2022/07/27/fulham-leno-arsenal-close-switch/

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Fulham Sign Mbabu

The Club is delighted to announce the signing of Kevin Mbabu from VfL Wolfsburg for an undisclosed fee.

An attacking right-back, Mbabu has agreed a three-year deal which ties him to Craven Cottage until the summer of 2025, with Fulham holding an option to extend by a further 12 months.

Speaking to FFCtv, the Switzerland international said: "I'm happy to be here as a Fulham Football Club player. It's a relief and now I can focus on my goals and the Club's goals, and help the team to be successful.

"The first step is to stay in the Premier League, stay stable in the league, and then why not aim for the top-10?"

Tony Khan added: "I'm very happy that we've been able to bring Kevin Mbabu to Fulham. Kevin is a player whom we've pursued for several years.

"He brings great physical tools to our Club in addition to his vast experience, and he's determined to prove himself in the Premier League, so we believe that he'll be a great addition to Marco's squad, and we're very excited about his arrival.

"Come on Fulham!"

As comfortable making tackles as he is bombing forward, Mbabu arrives at the Club after three years in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg.

He began his career in his native Switzerland with FC Servette, making a handful of appearances before moving to Newcastle United as a 17-year-old.

After being handed a senior debut early on in the 2015/16 season as a half-time substitute in the League Cup, Mbabu was given a first Premier League start just three days later.

An injury crisis in the Magpies squad meant he had to be utilised at left-back, but the youngster won acclaim for his performance in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea.

After making five appearances for the club that season, Mbabu agreed a new contract before returning to his homeland to spend the subsequent campaign on loan with BSC Young Boys.

That year he was a regular in the side that finished as runners-up to Basel in the Swiss Super League, with his performances convincing the club to sign him on a permanent deal.

It proved to be an inspired decision, with Mbabu featuring 38 times as Young Boys won the title in 2018 – their first in more than 30 years – by an incredible 15 points, while he was also named as the division's Player of the Season, and sampled UEFA Europa League football for the first time.

That was the start of a period of dominance for Young Boys in Swiss football, as they retained their title the following season – this time by a 20 point margin – with Mbabu again prevalent, whilst also getting Champions League football under his belt.

His contributions to the power shift in Switzerland had not gone unnoticed, with Wolfsburg parting with a reported £8m to bring the pacey defender to Germany. Mbabu left Young Boys with five goals and 15 assists to his name in 101 matches.

His stint with Die Wölfe was a success, following up a seventh place finish in his maiden campaign with top-four a year later, and the Champions League qualification that came with it.

Mbabu departs the club with eight goal involvements in 82 outings.

He won his first senior cap for Switzerland in September 2018 in the Nations League, going on to help his country finish fourth in the inaugural season of the competition. In the third place play-off defeat on penalties by England, Mbabu successfully converted his spot-kick.

He was later named in the Switzerland squad for the postponed 2020 European Championship, featuring in all five games as they reached the Quarter-Finals, where Spain needed penalties to knock them out.

Mbabu's performance in the dramatic Round of 16 victory over France won many plaudits, as he came off the bench to set up a goal as Switzerland managed to force extra-time, before eventually going on to triumph on spot-kicks.

At the time of writing, the 27-year-old has 22 caps for his country.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/july/27/fulham-sign-mbabu/

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Fulham complete signing of Switzerland defender Mbabu

Right-back Kevin Mbabu has completed his move to Fulham from Wolfsburg.

Fulham recently agreed a £6m deal with the German club and he has signed a three-year contract with the option of a further year.

Mbabu, a Switzerland international, made 24 Bundesliga appearances last season as well as six in the Champions League.

"I'm happy to be here as a Fulham Football Club player," he said.

"It's a relief and now I can focus on my goals and the club's goals, and help the team to be successful.

"The first step is to stay in the Premier League, stay stable in the league, and then why not aim for the top-10?"



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-mbabu-move-27722

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Mbabu joins Fulham

Fulham have completed the signing of Swiss international full back Kevin Mbabu from Wolfsburg this morning, for a fee that could rise to around £6m.

The 27 year-old former Newcastle United right back has signed an initial three-year contract at Craven Cottage – with the newly-promoted Premier League side retaining an option to trigger a twelve month extension of that deal. Mbabu returns to English football after a lengthy summer of negotiations between the Whites and Wolfsburg, for whom he made 82 appearances and helped qualify for the Champions' League when they finished fourth in the Bundesliga in 2021.

Mbabu, who won the back-to-back Swiss domestic doubles with Young Boys between 2017 and 2019, told FFCTV that was delighted to become the club's fourth summer signing.

"I'm happy to be here as a Fulham Football Club player. It's a relief and now I can focus on my goals and the club's goals, and help the team to be successful. The first step is to stay in the Premier League, stay stable in the league, and then why not aim for the top ten?"



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/07/mbabu-joins-fulham/

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Fulham in race for £13m forward who beat Foden and Sancho to award

Fuham have joined Premier League rivals West Ham United in the race to sign Justin Kluivert but Serie A giants Roma will only consider permanent offers, as reported by Corriere dello Sport.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matthijs de Ligt, Vinicius Jr, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho; Those are just five of the players who were left trailing in Kluivert's wake back in 2018. The 18-year-old Ajax wonderkid fought off serious competition to claim Goal.com's Next Gen award, bestowed upon the most exciting young talent in all of world football.

Five years on, Donnarumma is a European champion with Italy. De Ligt has joined Bayern Munich from Juventus. Vinicius Jr scored 22 goals for Real Madrid last season. Foden and Sancho, meanwhile, are regulars on both sides of the Manchester divide.

Now, it's Kluivert's turn to feel left behind.

Could Fulham sign Justin Kluivert from Roma?

The twice-capped Netherlands international is not part of Roma's pre-season tour. And, after a couple of underwhelming loan spells at Nice and RB Leipzig, the Conference League winners are looking to sell a player who's scintillating performances at Ajax have not been replicated with any frequency outside of his Dutch homeland.

West Ham were keen before turning their attention to Frankfurt's Filip Kostic. According to Corriere dello Sport, Fulham have made inquiries too, with Roma willing to sell for around £15 million. 

Then again, earlier this week, the Cottagers unveiled the signing of another right-footed left winger in Manor Solomon. Kluivert is versatile enough to play on both sides but he exploded onto the scene at Ajax strutting his stuff the left-hand flank.

Is Patrick's baby-faced son merely an alternative to Solomon? Or someone viewed as capable of providing competition for the Israel international?

For now, that is a question we cannot answer with any certainty.

"I look up to Cristiano Ronaldo," Kluivert told FourFourTwo a couple of years ago. "Not just because of his qualities, which are obvious, but also the way he lives and eats and how hard he trains. He is really an example for me. 

"Barcelona is my dream club. Within seven years, I would like to be at Barcelona. Before that I would like to play in England as well. I really like that competition (the Premier League)."



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/07/27/fulham-in-race-for-13m-forward-who-beat-foden-and-sancho-to-award/

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Leicester ready to hijack Fulham deal for £8m man, as Kasper Schmeichel transfer hangs in balance

Leicester City are trying to hijack Fulham's move for Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno, claims a report in France.

The Foxes are on the hunt for a new No.1 with Kasper Schmeichel ready to move on. The 35-year-old is in the final year of his contract at the King Power Stadium after more than 10 years at the club.

The Denmark international has won the Premier League and FA Cup with the club, but he is understood to have agreed to leave the midlands.

According to Get French Football News, Schmeichel has an agreement in place with Nice. The keeper is believed to have agreed personal terms in principle and talks between the two clubs are ongoing over a fee.

The report claims Schmeichel could leave on a free transfer, despite being under contract until June 2023.

L'Equipe makes it clear that Leicester need a replacement, as Danny Ward will remain as the No.2 at the King Power. And until Leicester secure a replacement, Schmeichel will not be given the green light to move on.

Leicester have been linked with Benfica man Odysseas Vlachodimos. Portuguese paper Record say that Leicester could have a decent chance of luring 28-year-old Vlachodimos.

Fulham in talks over £8m Leno transfer

But now Leicester are considering Arsenal's Leno and Nantes keeper Alban Lafont.

Leicester though will have to move quickly if they are to get hold of German stopper Leno.

The 30-year-old, who lost his place to Aaron Ramsdale at the start of last season, is in talks over a move to Fulham.

And Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg says the prospective deal "is looking good now".

The sticking point was understood to be the transfer fee with Edu recently dropping the price. Therefore recent negotiations between the clubs have been "positive" and an agreement was expected.

Fulham were hoping to get a deal of around £8m over the line. However, Leicester's interest could now scupper Fulham's chances of landing the Gunners man.



https://www.teamtalk.com/leicester-city/bernd-leno-transfer-news-leicester-to-hijack-fulham-keeper-move

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Fulham complete £6.4m signing of Kevin Mbabu after Swiss international puts pen to paper on three-year deal at Craven Cottage - becoming the newly-promoted side's fourth signing of the summer after leaving Wolfsburg

    Kevin Mbabu has complete a £6.4million switch to Fulham from Wolfsburg
    The Switzerland international signed a deal on an initial three years at the club
    However the newly-promoted Premier League side have an optional further year
    Mbabu is the Craven Cottage club's fourth signing in a busy transfer window

Newly-promoted Fulham have signed Switzerland defender Kevin Mbabu from German club Wolfsburg for an undisclosed fee.

The 27-year-old right-back has agreed a three-year contract at Craven Cottage, with the club holding an option for a further 12 months.

Mbabu, who has 22 caps for his country and previously had stints with Newcastle and Rangers, is initially targeting Premier League survival following the Cottagers' promotion as Championship winners.


Switzerland international Kevin Mbabu has completed a £6.4million move to Fulham

'I'm happy to be here as a Fulham Football Club player,' he told FFCtv. 'It's a relief and now I can focus on my goals and the club's goals, and help the team to be successful.
Mbabu has joined from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg

Mbabu has joined from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg

'The first step is to stay in the Premier League, stay stable in the league, and then why not aim for the top 10?'

Mbabu is the fourth summer signing for Fulham boss Marco Silva following the arrivals of Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira and Manor Solomon.

He began his career with Swiss club Servette and, having moved to England at the age of 17, made three Premier League appearances for Newcastle during the 2015-16 season before returning to his homeland to join Young Boys following an unsuccessful loan spell with Rangers.

A member of Switzerland's Euro 2020 squad, he spent the past three seasons in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg.

Fulham owner Tony Khan said: 'Kevin is a player whom we've pursued for several years.

'He brings great physical tools to our club in addition to his vast experience, and he's determined to prove himself in the Premier League, so we believe that he'll be a great addition to Marco's squad, and we're very excited about his arrival.'


Mbabu managed three goals and five assists during his three-year stay at Wolfsburg



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11053721/Fulham-complete-6-4m-signing-Kevin-Mbabu-Swiss-international-signed-three-year-deal.html

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Kevin Mbabu: Fulham sign Switzerland right-back from Wolfsburg

Mbabu scored three goals and registered five assists in three seasons with Wolfsburg

Fulham have signed Switzerland right-back Kevin Mbabu from Wolfsburg on a three-year deal.

The 27-year-old, who made three Premier League appearances during a four-year spell at Newcastle United, arrives at Craven Cottage in a deal worth a reported £6.4m.

Mbabu joined Wolfsburg from Swiss side Young Boys in 2019 and has played 66 games for the Bundesliga club.

"I'm happy to be here as a Fulham player," Mbabu said.

"It's a relief and now I can focus on my goals and the club's goals, and help the team to be successful. The first step is to stay in the Premier League, stay stable in the league and then why not aim for the top 10?"

Mbabu has won 22 caps for Switzerland since making his senior debut in 2018.

His stint at Newcastle between 2013 and 2017 was disrupted by injuries and resulted in loan spells with Rangers and Young Boys.

Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan said: "Kevin is a player whom we've pursued for several years.

"He brings great physical tools to our club in addition to his vast experience and he's determined to prove himself in the Premier League, so we believe that he'll be a great addition to Marco's [Silva] squad and we're very excited about his arrival."



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62315714

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Fulham Make Breakthrough In Bernd Leno Swoop

Fulham have agreed on a deal in principle with Arsenal for the signature of German goalkeeper Bernd Leno, according to Sky Sports News.

Leno has been the newly-promoted Premier League side's top goalkeeping target all summer and negotiations have dragged on for several weeks between the two clubs.

Arsenal have been unwilling to drop their financial demands and Fulham have been pushing for a compromise to get the German goalkeeper.

The 30-year-old has been keen on the move and have been patiently waiting for the two clubs to work out an agreement.

And it has been claimed that a verbal agreement is now in place between Arsenal and Fulham for Leno to move to Craven Cottage.

The two clubs are still holding talks and are now pushing to finalise the details of the agreement.

Once a final agreement is in place, Leno will undergo a medical and look to agree on personal terms with Fulham.

Marco Silva has been pushing to get Leno all summer and the Fulham boss is finally on the cusp of landing the German.



https://insidefutbol.com/2022/07/27/fulham-make-breakthrough-in-bernd-leno-swoop/570075/

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Arsenal and Fulham negotiation for Leno in 'final stages' – 'Last details' before medical

Arsenal and Fulham have struck an agreement for goalkeeper Bernd Leno worth 'around €8m'.

That's according to journalist Florian Plettenburg, who says there is an agreement in principle but the last details have to be clarified between the two sides.

Leno has been linked with a move away from the Emirates this summer after falling behind Aaron Ramsey in the pecking order last season.

He had been expected to return to Germany but instead appears to be moving across London, with Fulham keen.

Talks with Arsenal have been underway for weeks but the two sides have been struggling to find an agreement as the Gunners' demands were too high for Fulham's liking.

There has been a breakthrough this week, though, and Plettenburg now reports that there is now an agreement in principle between the two sides for a fee of around £8m.

He says the 'last details' still need to be ironed out between the two clubs, after which there will be a medical.

Either way, the goalkeeper looks set to swap Arsenal for Fulham imminently and the transfer is in the 'final stages'.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/arsenal-fulham-negotiation-leno-final-stages-last-details-medical/

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Fulham set to seal signing of Arsenal keeper Leno

Fulham are set to complete the signing of goalkeeper Bernd Leno from Arsenal for around £8m.

The promoted Whites have been in negotiations to buy Leno and an agreement is now in place.

Germany international Leno, 30, was signed by Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen in 2018 but has since lost his place to Aaron Ramsdale.

He is in the final year of his contract at the Emirates Stadium and is eager to play first-team football.

The Gunners recently signed American keeper Matt Turner, paving the way for Leno to move on.

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been keen to sign a keeper this summer as his side prepare for the Premier League campaign.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-arsenal-bernd-leno-deal-2893833

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Fulham breakthrough could be pointless as Leicester join Leno race after shock update

Fulham have edged closer to signing Bernd Leno, however, Leicester City could make a late attempt to sign the Arsenal goalkeeper, according to reports.

Leno has one year left on his Gunners contract and as the club's second-choice 'keeper, he has been told he can leave in the summer transfer window.

He joined from Bayer Leverkusen in 2018 and quickly established himself as the No. 1 at the Emirates, replacing Petr Cech in goal.

However, the signing of Aaron Ramsdale last summer saw the German move to the bench. After starting all three of Arsenal's opening Premier League fixtures, Leno only featured one more time in the top flight in 2021/22 – a 1-0 win at Aston Villa.

The addition of American goalkeeper Matt Turner has further questioned his place at the club.

After paying £20million to bring the 30-year-old to the Emirates, the north Londoners have reportedly agreed to sell him to Fulham for £8m.

This is according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, who has reported that Leno will have his medical and 'sort personal terms' after the 'finer details are finalised'.

Sheth wrote on Twitter on Wednesday: "Fulham have an agreement in principle with Arsenal over the signing of keeper Bernd Leno. Deal worth £8m. Once finer details are finalised, Leno will have a medical and sort personal terms."

While Fulham look to have made an important breakthrough in their pursuit of the experienced shot-stopper, they could face some late competition from Premier League rivals Leicester.

The Foxes are the only top-flight outfit yet to make a first-team signing this summer, but they might be busy soon after it emerged out of the blue that Kasper Schmeichel could leave after 11 years at the King Power.

Schmeichel helped the club win the Premier League title in 2016 and is regarded as an important player in their history.

According to French outlet L'Equipe, Nice are interested in bringing the 35-year-old in to replace Walter Benitez.

A move to Leicester could be more appealing to some, though it is believed that Fulham is particularly appealing to Leno as he wishes to remain in London.

The Foxes will only let Schmeichel leave if they find a successor. The Danish shot-stopper is thought to be eager to take on a new challenge.

He will likely be able to leave on a free transfer with only a year left on his current contract.

If they are unable to sign Leno, Leicester have also added Nantes' Alban Lafont to their shortlist.



https://www.football365.com/news/fulham-breakthrough-could-be-pointless-as-leicester-join-leno-race-after-shock-update

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Tiehi brace beats Bournemouth

A brace from Jean-Pierre Tiehi helped Fulham's under 21s battle back from twice going behind to beat AFC Bournemouth this afternoon.

Terry Ablade marked his first start following an injury set back with the other goal for Steve Wigley's side as the young Whites showed great spirit to register an encouraging victory. The Finnish youth international almost gave the visitors a perfect start but he was denied by a superb saving tackle after a perceptive pass from Adrion Pajaziti. Alex Borto saved well from Jaydon Saydee but was left helpless from twelve yards shortly when Nathan Moriah-Welsh calmly converted a penalty after being brought down by a clumsy tackle.

Pajaziti was denied by a brilliant save after the Kosovan midfielder had been played in by Matt Dibley-Dias but Fulham didn't have to wait too much longer for an equaliser with Ablade punishing some slack defending with an emphatic finish. But the Londoners weren't able to preserve parity until half time with a sensational long-range strike from Kinsley Wellings restoring the Cherries' lead.

Dibley-Dias fully extended Will Dennis with a rising drive after the interval but Tiehi swiftly levelled with an assured finish after substitute Kristian Šekularac had played him in. Tiehi's best finish of the afternoon was reserved for last – an athletic volley from a fine searching cross from Luciano D'Auria-Henry.

FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-2-3-1): Borto; Tanton, Williams, Bowat, Parkes; Okkas, Pajaziti; McFarlane, O'Neill, Dibley-Dias; Ablade. Subs: Conway, D'Auria-Henry, Šekularac, Tiehi, Godo, Sanderson.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2022/07/tiehi-brace-beats-bournemouth/

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'Agreement in principal' – Premier League sides agree £8M deal

Dharmesh Sheth has claimed that Arsenal and Fulham have agreed a deal in principal for the transfer of Bernd Leno.

The German lost his role ass the Gunners' first choice last term, suffering nine goals from our opening three Premier League matches of the season, and Aaron Ramsdale quickly took advantage by opening his account with three successive clean sheets, impressing between the sticks to swiftly earn the number one spot.

Leno has since been linked with a move away from the club, with Newcastle initially believed to be a likely destination, but in recent weeks it has been Fulham most strongly linked, with Napoli and Leicester more recent whispers, but Sheth has now claimed that a deal has been found between us and the Cottagers.

£8 Million seems a little under our valuation, but it seems fair considering the fact that he is inside the final 12 months of his playing contract. We've already landed his replacement also, bringing in Matt Turner from the MLS, so there is little reason for us to hold back on allowing him his exit.



https://www.justarsenal.com/agreement-in-principal-premier-league-sides-agree-8m-deal/315465

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West Ham in talks to sign £20m ace but he likes Nottingham Forest

Emmanuel Dennis is confident about securing a £20 million exit from Watford with Premier League quartet Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Everton and Fulham all keen, as reported by The Athletic.

If anything, it's a surprise that no one has taken a punt on Dennis just yet.

You certainly would have got long odds on the Nigeria international being in contention for Watford's Championship opener against Sheffield United. But, with The Blades set to arrive at Vicarage Road on Monday night, it seems Dennis may still have a part to play.

Unless, of course, one of his many top-flight suitors slam their foot onto the accelerator in the coming days.

Who will sign Emmanuel Dennis from Watford?

The Athletic say that both Watford and Dennis are 'confident' that an agreement will be reached. The Hornets are willing to cash in for a fee in the £20 million bracket. Where the journeyman forward ends up, however, is less certain.

The former Arsenal target is reportedly 'encouraged' by talks with big-spending Nottingham Forest. West Ham are also in negotiations however. And don't rule out an approach by Fulham or Everton either.

The Toffees are arguably the club most in need of a left-sided forward; One who can both score and create in the final third. Everton sold Richarlison to Tottenham Hotspur earlier in June after all. Interestingly, Dennis actually scored or assisted more goals (16) than Richarlison did last term (15), despite playing for a side who ended up in the relegation zone.

Fulham, in contrast, have already signed one inverted, left-sided forward. Manor Solomon finally arrived from Shakhtar Donetsk this week.

"He's a very good player, with good technique," former Watford ace Odion Ighalo says of his fellow Nigeria international. "He's fast, he can score goals, he's very intelligent.

The legendary Michael Owen, meanwhile, described Dennis as one of last season's most inspired pound-for-pound signings. Watford look certain to make a massive profit on their initial £3 million investment.

"What a player!" Owen told Premier League TV. "What a bargain transfer he has been in the Premier League this season."

Dennis was a bargain at £3 million. Can he be a bargain at £20 million too?



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/07/27/west-ham-in-talks-to-sign-20m-ace-but-he-likes-nottingham-forest/

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Journalist: Arsenal have agreed to sell 'special' £100k-a-week superstar

Arsenal have reportedly reached an agreement in principle with Fulham over the sale of goalkeeper Bernd Leno, with the Germany international now on the brink of signing for the Cottagers.

According to Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth, an agreement has been reached between the two London sides for Leno, with the keeper now set to sign for Leno in a deal worth £8m, though a medical and details on personal terms still need to be finalised.

Arsenal have been looking to offload Leno for the majority of the summer following the arrival of USA international Matt Turner from the New England Revolution, and now, the Gunners stand on the verge of selling the 30-year-old shot-stopper, saving the Gunners a huge amount on the wage bill in the process.

Leno reportedly earns £100,000-a-week, making the keeper one of Arsenal's highest-paid players, with Mikel Arteta also eager to offload other players who earn a similar wage, such as Hector Bellerin and Nicolas Pepe, who could be next on the Gunners chopping block.

For Fulham, Leno will likely become their fifth signing of the summer transfer window, shortly following VfL Wolfsburg defender Kevin Mbabu, who joined Marco Silva's side this week in what could be one of the shrewdest deals of the market.

Indeed, the Arsenal keeper will be a major improvement for Fulham between the sticks, with Leno a regular for the German national team and regarded by many Gooners as a top keeper before the arrival of Ramsdale, and the Cottagers could well now have a shot of Premier League safety following the arrival of their new signing.

Signing 'special Leno could be the key to Fulham avoiding relegation

Hailed as 'special' by Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, it's gone quite under the radar just how much of a coup Leno signing for Fulham could be for the Thameside club, with the former Bundesliga star a quality addition who could keep the club from avoiding relegation.

Fulham's reputation as a yo-yo side has been well-documented, yet signing Leno on top of their other new additions this summer, the Cottagers could now genuinely have a shot at staying up in the Premier League if all the correct pieces fall into place.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/07/27/journalist-arsenal-have-agreed-to-sell-special-100k-a-week-superstar/

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 2022 Premier League promoted teams: What Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Fulham need to stay in top flight
Breaking down the three promoted teams in Premier League

It's hard to believe that the offseason is almost over and the Premier League season begins on Friday, Aug. 5. But with that in mind, the end of the offseason is also a good time to examine the newly promoted teams from the Championship.

It's always an interesting exercise to see which teams can avoid the drop, especially when you consider how Wolverhampton, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Brentford have only raised expectations for recently promoted teams. Thirty teams have been promoted over the past 10 seasons, and 15 of them have managed to avoid the drop. Six of have managed to finish 10th or better. The 2016-17 season was a bit of an outlier as all three teams (Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield) stayed up. Either way, there's a 50 percent success rate over the past decade, which should give hope to the current crop of new teams in the league.

Fulham are back after winning the Championship by a wide margin, with Bournemouth joining the fray after spending two seasons resetting with the added spice of being led by former Fulham manager Scott Parker. Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest side won the promotion playoff final over Huddersfield Town to end a 23-year hiatus from top-flight soccer.

All three are led by impressive forwards (Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke, Fulham's Aleksander Mitrovic and Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson) along with shrewd managers. But that's where the differences end. In four of the past five seasons, one promoted team has managed to finish in the top half of the Premier League in their first season, showing growth in quality in the top teams getting promoted. Last season, if not for David Raya getting injured, Brentford were on track to make it a 5 for 5 on top-half finishes.

Let's take a look at the newly promoted teams and their outlook ahead of the new season.

Fulham
    Key additions: Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira, Manor Solomon, Kevin Mbabu
    Key departures: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Fabio Carvalho, Neco Williams
    Key players: Aleksandar Mitrovic (43 goals, seven assists), Joao Palhinha (Three goals), Harry Wilson (10 goals, nine assists), Tosin Adarabioyo (two goals, two assists)

Outlook: Outside of Norwich City, there isn't a bigger yo-yo club than Fulham, who have made it to the Premier League for the third time in five years. If this were baseball, they would be labeled as a Quadruple-A team: Too good for the Championship, but not good enough to stay up in the Premier League. Led by Marco Silva, the Cottagers have talent and most of their success lies in Serbian marksman Aleksandar Mitrovic's ability to find the back of the net.

Coming off of a 43-goal season in the Championship, you'd love to expect that things will finally click for him in the top flight and he scores 20-plus goals to keep Fulham up. Then you realize that Mitrovic hasn't scored more than 11 goals in four Premier League seasons between Newcastle and Fulham. Without Fabio Carvalho, who's off to Liverpool, a large spark is gone from this attack even though they scored a whopping 106 goals in the Championship.

Andreas Pereira has been signed to try to improve Fulham's attack in the center of the park which shows just how dire their situation is. Since starring in La Liga at 20 with Granada, Pereira struggled to catch on in Brazil with Flamengo as he only received 25 starts over the past two seasons. Pereira logged seven goals and two assists in Brazil. He is only 27, but it's still hard to see him being a critical part of the Cottagers' attack.

Sticking with new signings, FIFA held up the completion of Manor Solomon's transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk. While FIFA's extended their work permit exemptions for players in Ukraine in June, a deal won't be made official until almost August, causing Solomon to miss critical time to get up to speed during the preseason. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder is expected to improve Fulham's attacking depth, but it doesn't answer major questions about the defense.

Fulham have gone in for their annual purchase at right back to add Kevin Mbabu from Wolfsburg as an attempt to address defensive needs. After losing Neco Williams to Nottingham Forest, Silva needed an experienced defender who can slot in quickly to be ready for the season. He has gotten that in Mbabu while also keeping some of what Williams did well with carrying the ball forward and overlapping with wingers. Mbabu also has experience of being in the relegation zone, which is a pressure cooker that can't be taught.

Silva's side is still in search for upgrades between the sticks and at center back. Goalkeeper Marek Rodak has been serviceable in the Championship but he was replaced by Alphonse Areola when Fulham were last in the Premier League. They thought that Bernd Leno would have joined the team by now. In fact, he's frustrated that the hurdles standing in the way have not yet been toppled. Fulham offered around £10 million for Leno but Arsenal seek £15 million. Both sides are holding out to see which will blink first as time winds down to get a new keeper in before the season opener. There's a similar situation going on between Fulham and West Ham as they've yet to come to an agreement for the transfer of Issa Diop.

Even with Palhinha in the fold, both Diop and Leno would be key to Fulham's bid to stay up another season. A strong defensive midfielder with Sporting CP, Palhninha gives Fulham a decent defensive base to build on, but he and Tosin Adarabioyo can't do it alone when Premier League defenses will be more adept at defending against Harry Wilson and Mitrovic. Without more additions, Fulham are in for another yo-yo season.

Bournemouth
    Key additions: Joe Rothwell, Ryan Fredericks
    Key departures: Nat Phillips
    Key players: Dominic Solanke (29 goals, seven assists), Rothwell (three goals, 10 assists), Jaidon Anthony (eight goals, six assists), Mark Travers

Outlook: Bournemouth posted the second-best goal difference in the Championship at +35 behind 29 goals from Dominic Solanke. It wasn't always pretty, but they managed to get access to top-flight football behind a strong season from Solanke along with Mark Travers' performances assuring they would not miss a beat in net after losing Aaron Ramsdale to Arsenal. Travers and Bournemouth had the third-best save percentage at 76.9 percent while facing 156 shots on target. That number was only bettered by Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest who fielding a new starting goalkeeper this season.

Solanke's season was a bit weird when you consider that he scored 29 times, but underperformed compared to his underlying statistics. Solanke's expected goals (xG) was 33.83 because he struggled to put shots on target. Of the 164 shots taken, only 59 tested the keeper. If Solanke is able to up that percentage in the Premier League, his goalscoring could be more sustainable than Mitrovic's.

The issue is that the game moves faster in the Premier League. If Solanke isn't able to keep up, then the Cherries don't have other options to lead the line. In Solanke's 63 Premier League appearances with Liverpool and Bournemouth, he has only scored four goals and assisted three more. The hope is that at age 24, he can finally put things together in the top flight.

The good news is that he will get better service with the additions of Joe Rothwell and Ryan Fredericks. Rothwell is a solid attacking midfielder who can keep play ticking over. While he doesn't light up the stat sheet with key passes similarly to an Emi Buendia, Rothwell does the dirty work of a 10 to keep play ticking over. Parker made the unconventional choice of playing Philip Billing as his 10 last season in front of a pivot of Lewis Cook and Jefferson Lerma. And while Billing did well there, he could slide back into a more familiar role or have Rothwell slot into a wide midfield position.

The defense is a slight concern without Nat Phillips, but Lloyd Kelly and Chris Mepham should be a solid central pairing. Fredericks was effective when healthy for West Ham, but the being healthy part is an issue. A long history of muscular injuries has caused Fredricks to be unavailable quite a lot for the Hammers over the years, which is why he was allowed to leave on a free transfer. Parker will need him to be available this season, but that's easier said than done when he needs to be carefully managed.

This is an interesting squad with quite a solid core, especially in midfield. The trio of Lerma, Cook and Billing would get time with quite a bit of teams in the league while the rest of the spine of the squad is also stout. But it also feels like Bournemouth haven't done enough to shore up the flanks. Adam Smith will likely rotate with Fredericks, but when the latter is hurt, Smith will play more minutes than you'd like him to. Jordan Zemura was impressive last season, but it was also his first taste of professional soccer after being promoted from the U21s.

outh taking the next step is what Parker needs to stave off relegation. Jaidon Anthony, 22, took quite a step last season and made one of the wing positions his own as he was involved in 14 goals. The Cherries will need that again to make things work along with Solanke finally cracking the Premier League. If that happens, they're equipped to avoid the drop, though I'm not sure Parker will be the person to see them to the end of the season if things get off to a bad start.

Nottingham Forest
    Key additions: Jesse Lingard, Taiwo Awoniyi, Neco Williams, Moussa Niakhate, Giulian Biancone, Omar Richards, Lewis O'Brien, Harry Toffolo, Dean Henderson, Orel Mangala
    Key departures: Djed Spence, James Garner, Philip Zinckernagel, Max Lowe, Keinan Davis, Brice Samba
    Key players: Henderson, Brennan Johnson (16 goals, 10 assists), Ryan Yates (eight goals), Taiwo Awoniyi (15 goals, one assist)

Outlook: The Tricky Trees have kept busy by adding 12 players and counting to the squad this summer. That kind of roster turnover can be concerning, even if it was by design due to how they operated in the Championship to achieve promotion. Steve Cooper fielded seven players on loan last season while achieving promotion. With all of them gone elsewhere, there were already holes to fill before strengthening the squad to make sure that there is enough coverage for the Premier League season. In reality, what Forest did last season is pretty smart if the manager and front office are in tune with each other.

Grabbing key loans ensures that they're able to come into the Premier League without needing to trim much fat from the roster while also having more to spend for upgrades. Forest have nearly spent $90 million in transfers this summer. Most of that spending was done early in the window, which gave Cooper the luxury of practically having his entire squad available for preseason in order to get used to their 3-5-2 scheme. The only exceptions being the newest trio of Jesse Lingard, Lewis O'Brien and Harry Toffolo.

Let's stick with Jesse Lingard for a second. Cooper (and large sums of cash) was enough to convince the 29-year-old to join Forest on a one-year, prove-it deal after hot spells with Manchester United and West Ham. If he succeeds in keeping them up while lighting it up in the Premier League, he's bound to earn a payday either at Forest or elsewhere. Lingard will also get to support two forwards who scored 15-plus goals each in their respective leagues last season in Johnson and Awoniyi, so he will at least have suitable support up top.

Forest strengthened the midfield in adding Orel Mangala from Stuttgart for £12.7 million. With James Garner staying with Manchester United for now, there is an open spot in central midfield supporting Ryan Yates. As more of a defensive minded midfielder, Mangala will help protect the defense while Yates, Lingard and the wing backs help support the attack in Cooper's preferred formation. This points to Johnson playing more central alongside Awoniyi, than his Championship role as a wide attacker in a front three.

Awoniyi is quite the addition from Union Berlin after firing them into a Europa League place last season. He'll offer a solid option for Johnson to play off of and could provide some much-needed goalscoring help. Neco Williams is a solid replacement for losing Djed Spence to Tottenham as well. Getting Williams to spray crosses into the box while bombing down the flanks and ensuring that Fulham weren't able to sign him from Liverpool also serves a good purpose of weakening their rivals.

It shows just how much thought goes into Forest's business. That said, it won't matter much if they don't get the team firing on all cylinders out of the gate. Dean Henderson has big shoes to fill in net, but his performance with Sheffield United when they were promoted provides help that Brice Samba won't be missed too much. Having Wayne Hennessey as an experienced option will hopefully make the transition as smooth as possible.

But when you break down their back line, there's almost nothing but new faces in front of Henderson. They're anchored by Moussa Niakhate, a solid defender who spent the past four seasons at Mainz. He can also provide a target for the team on set plays. Niakhate moving also shows how big the draw of the Premier League is because he's forgoing Champions League soccer to join a newly promoted team. It also means that he's pretty confident in keeping them in the league for more than one season.

If all goes according to plan, Forest are the team most equipped to challenge for a top half spot this season. But with so many new faces in, Cooper will need to keep morale high if they're roughed up at the start of the season. A few defeats could send them down a spiral. Spending with a plan is certainly better than spending without one like some newly promoted teams in the past, but trouble may lie ahead if the newly acquired players struggle to build chemistry.



https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/2022-premier-league-promoted-teams-what-bournemouth-nottingham-forest-and-fulham-need-to-stay-in-top-flight/