Friday Fulham Stuff - 02/02/24...

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Results

Thursday 1/02
West Ham	1-1	Bournemouth
Wolves	3-4	Man Utd

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Fulham's Loan Fee To Chelsea For Armando Broja Could Be Zero
Fulham could end up paying Chelsea nothing for Armando Broja's loan, according to the Guardian.

Chelsea wanted £50m for Broja at the start of the January transfer window and were then clear if he left on loan it would need to include an obligation to buy.

The Blues performed a big U-turn on deadline day when they then made Broja available on a simple loan.

They were demanding a loan fee of £5m though which proved to be unacceptable for Fulham.

Fulham though have agreed a deal for Broja and while it has emerged that if the striker does not play a set number of games for the Cottagers, and the club hit targets, he could cost a loan fee of £4m, he could actually cost far less.

If Broja plays in 50 per cent of Fulham's games for the remainder of this season then the Cottagers will pay no loan fee.

Chelsea will get no loan fee from Fulham if that happens.

Fulham now have a ready-made Premier League striker to call on and Marco Silva is expected to give him plenty of game time.



https://insidefutbol.com/2024/02/01/fulhams-loan-fee-to-chelsea-for-armando-broja-could-be-zero/635434/

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Fulham confirm Francois loan move
Tyrese Francois has completed a loan move to Danish side Vejle Boldklub until the end of the season, Fulham have confirmed.

The Australian 23-year-old has been included in the Fulham's squad in recent months but has made only a handful of brief appearances off the bench.

Francois spent time with Croatian outfit HNK Gorica last season but the spell was curtailed prematurely due to injury.

Meanwhile, Fulham's Chris Donnell has joined Scottish club Airdrieonians on loan for the rest of the season.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulhams-midfielder-to-join-danish-side-on-loan-2

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Fulham's Idris Odutayo joins Bromley on a permanent deal



Bromley Football Club are delighted to announce the signing of defender Idris Odutayo from Premier League side Fulham on a permanent deal.

The 21-year-old, who has made six Premier League 2 appearances for the Cottagers this season, spent last campaign on loan at fellow National League side Maidenhead United.

Odutayo collected 21 appearances for the Magpies in 2022/23 in what proved to be his first season at senior level.

Our newest recruit will wear the number 30 shirt.

Welcome to Bromley, Idris.



https://www.bromleyfc.co.uk/news/fulhams-idris-odutayo-joins-bromley-on-a-permanent-deal/

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U16 prospect Macauley Zepa Adams joins Fulham after leaving Arsenal


Former Arsenal U16 youngster Macauley Zepa Adams has signed for Fulham.

Zepa Adams will complete his final season as a schoolboy at Fulham before signing scholarship terms.

Therefore, the skilful youngster, who was previously at Chelsea's academy, won't be part of Arsenal's scholarship intake next season.

Chido Obi-Martin and Louis Zecevic-John have already signed agreements to be scholars next season, while Andre Annous has also been offered a contract.



https://arsenalyouth.wordpress.com/2024/02/01/u16-prospect-macauley-zepa-adams-joins-fulham-after-leaving-arsenal/

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January transfer window: Premier League clubs cut back after record summer amid Profitability and Sustainability Rules crackdown

After a record £2.44bn splash in the summer, Premier League clubs spent just £96.2m this winter - around £700m less than 12 months ago; Profitability and Sustainability Rules hit transfer budgets but expect clubs to go big again at the end of this season...


Financial charges for Everton and Nottingham Forest impacted transfer spending across the Premier League this winter

After the feast, there was the famine.
Premier League clubs gorged on transfers in the summer, splashing a record-breaking £2.44bn on new signings.

There was just £96.2m paid out this January, only the second time in 13 years there has been less than £100m spent in a January window - and around £700m less than 12 months ago.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City may be chasing the Premier League crown but they didn't spend a penny on a first-teamer for the title run-in. Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle were similarly stringent.

Unsurprisingly, Everton were part of that prudent group - their points deduction for breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules was a major part of this tightening of belts.

It has been borrows, bargains and buys for the future rather than blowouts for the likes of Tottenham (Timo Werner loan, Radu Dragusin for £26.7m), West Ham (Kalvin Phillips loan) and Aston Villa (Morgan Rogers for £8m).

There has been as much focus on outgoings as incomings, with the high-profile departure of Jadon Sancho back to Borussia Dortmund the standout, but Eric Dier and Donny van de Beek are among the players whose wages have been offloaded to some extent.

On Deadline Day, loan deals dominated, with Fulham's pursuit of Chelsea's Armando Broja going late into the night, Burnley signing Rennes' Lorenz Assignon and Montpellier's Maxime Esteve, Sheffield United adding Everton's Mason Holgate and Nottingham Forest picking up Sporting's Rodrigo Ribeiro.

Bournemouth brought in Getafe's Enes Unal with an obligation to buy for £14m and there were permanent deals involving Adam Wharton (Blackburn to Crystal Palace, £18m potentially rising to £22m), Rogers (Middlesbrough to Villa, £8m potentially rising to £15m), Matz Sels (Strasbourg to Forest, £5m), Caylan Vickers (Reading to Brighton, undisclosed) and Joe Gauci (Adelaide United to Aston Villa, undisclosed),

Aside from the restrictions of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules, there have been other factors at play - the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup have depleted squads and made clubs loathe to sell, while Saudi Pro League sides who were big spenders in the summer have been less influential in this window, with their foreign-player quotas filled up from that previous business.

A winter famine followed by another summer feast?
But be in no doubt: Premier League clubs will go again in the summer. And they'll go big.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are in need of a first-class striker. They may need to stretch to nine figures to bring the likes of Victor Osimhen to the Premier League. Brentford have already indicated they will want eye-watering sums for Ivan Toney.

A new manager at Liverpool will surely be backed with investment, Manchester City will pick out areas to improve their winning machine further, while Newcastle - effectively the world's richest club but with their hands tied by PSR - will have to make significant investments to refuel their progress.

Expect new Manchester United investors INEOS to make a statement, as they look to launch a new era.

The summer has traditionally been the moment for the major moves to go down but PSR has emphasised that by forcing clubs to think more carefully and longer term about their purchases.

The January diet has been lean - but expect Premier League sides to tuck in again at the end of this season.



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11662/13061697/january-transfer-window-premier-league-clubs-cut-back-after-record-summer-amid-profitability-and-sustainability-rules-crackdown

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Premier League transfers: Crystal Palace, Tottenham, Man City and Aston Villa top spending chart
Premier League clubs spent £96.2m on 12 permanent signings for disclosed fees during window; spending represents eightfold decline from last year; Crystal Palace spent league-high £30.5m on signings; Aston Villa only club to recoup cash from sales with £2m for Finn Azaz

How much have Premier League clubs spent on transfers during the January window? We crunch the numbers...

This article was last updated on February 1 at 11.40pm. All transfer fees include potential add-ons and exclude undisclosed fees.

Winter freeze
Premier League clubs spent just £96.2m on new signings during the January window - the lowest winter spending in three years, with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) slashing clubs' spending power.

The outlay represents an eightfold decline from last year when Premier League clubs spent a record-breaking £780.1m during the window.

Only Aston Villa generated cash from player sales for disclosed fees, offloading Finn Azaz to Middlesbrough for £2m.

Who spent the most?
Only eight clubs signed players for disclosed fees, with Crystal Palace splashing a league-topping £30.5m on Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton (£22m) and Genk right-back Daniel Munoz (£8.5m).

Tottenham spent £26.7m on Genoa centre-back Radu Dragusin, while Manchester City (£12.5m), Aston Villa (£9.3m), Brighton (£7.9m), Nottingham Forest (£5m), Brentford (£2.6m) and Luton (£1.7m) also recruited players for registered fees.

Which players cost the most?
Dragusin was the most expensive player in the window, followed by Wharton and new Manchester City prospect Claudio Echeverri ranked third at £12.5m.

Munoz, Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa from Middlesbrough for £8.5m), Valentin Barco (Brighton from Boca Juniors for £7.9m), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest from Strasbourg for £5m), Hakon Valdimarsson (Brentford from Elfsborg for £2.6m), Daiki Hashioka (Luton from Sint-Truidense for £1.7m) and Joe Gauci (Aston Villa from Adelaide United for £1.3m) also moved to the Premier League for disclosed fees.

How many players moved?
Players in
In total, there were 42 signings for fees, on loans or as free agents.

Headline incoming loan deals included Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City to West Ham), Sergio Reguilon (Tottenham to Brentford), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig to Tottenham) and Ben Brereton Diaz (Villarreal to Sheffield United).

Burnley signed three players on loan, while Brentford, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest drafted two on short-term deals, with another four clubs signing one player.

In terms of undisclosed fees, Brighton signed five players, Burnley drafted three, Aston Villa and Luton signed two and another four clubs recruited one.

Players out
Teams were far busier cutting their rosters with 141 players leaving for pastures new, of which 115 left on loan - either on a temporary basis or with an option to make the move permanent.

Manchester United offloaded a league-topping 12 players on loan deals, including the likes of Jadon Sancho, Donny van de Beek and Hannibal, while Liverpool (nine) and Wolves (eight) also sanctioned numerous loan departures.

PSR explained: What limits clubs spending more?
PSR, also known as Profit and Sustainability Rules for the well-versed, can be an enigma. A mystery. A good way of avoiding questions about your transfer plans.

The one thing we all know is there are some hefty spreadsheets involved, and in recent times more than a few run-ins with the authorities.

You may be more familiar with the term FFP, or Financial Fair Play, since rules were first introduced by the Premier League in 2013 - and this is the same thing, just with a different hat on. Both the Premier League and UEFA have stopped using the term FFP, and both now go by the 'PSR' moniker instead.

Everton were docked 10 points in November for falling foul of the Premier League's financial regulations - and alongside Nottingham Forest have now been charged with further excess spending - while Manchester City have been under investigation by the league for nearly a year regarding more than 100 alleged breaches spanning almost a decade.

So what is it in the rules stopping Arsenal putting down big money on a new striker in this window, or Todd Boehly adding another £1bn onto his wishlist at Chelsea?



https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13040953/premier-league-transfers-crystal-palace-tottenham-man-city-and-aston-villa-top-spending-chart

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

Dyche back to square one before Spurs test
Everton marked the first anniversary of Sean Dyche's appointment by slipping into the relegation zone on Tuesday. The worrying position belies the undoubted progress that the Everton manager has overseen since replacing Frank Lampard but, before demanding fixtures against Tottenham and at Manchester City, his team urgently need to rediscover the spark that has gone missing since the 2-1 defeat by Ange Postecoglou's team before Christmas. Injuries and constant demands on a small pool of reliable first-team players have caught up with Everton, who have not won in five Premier League matches and suffered morale-sapping home defeats in both cup competitions since last collecting three points at Burnley on 16 December. Dyche's reign commenced with a tireless home win over north London opposition 12 months ago, when title-chasing Arsenal were beaten 1-0. With the club's appeal against a 10-point deduction for a breach of financial rules offering no guarantees, he is back to square one in terms of another relegation dogfight. Andy Hunter

    Everton v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Brighton set for a frantic derby
The M23 derby is perhaps matched only by the storied Watford-Luton rivalry for fearsome intensity, and Crystal Palace visit Brighton with both managers under some pressure. After a promising start, Roberto De Zerbi's team have won only one of their past eight league games, scoring a meagre six goals in the process – and four of those came in that solitary victory. They shipped four in a midweek thrashing at Luton, and it's hard not to wonder if their idiosyncratic style, baiting teams in before springing, has been rumbled. Roy Hodgson, meanwhile, could scarcely be making less of his young, talented players. On Tuesday, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze scored and created all three of his side's goals as they scraped by Sheffield United, the league's bottom club, to record their second win in their last 11 games; the vibe at Selhurst is not good. As such, it could be a frantic, desperate afternoon in Sussex – exactly as a derby should be. Daniel Harris

    Brighton v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Time running out for Fulham's Brazilian strikers
Fulham reached an unwanted milestone on Tuesday with their goalless draw against Everton at Craven Cottage. It was the 10th time this season that Marco Silva's side have failed to score in a Premier League game, surpassing any other goal-shy rivals in the top flight, and Raúl Jiménez's hamstring injury heightens the manager's concerns over where the remedy will come from. Since a prolific burst of 16 goals in four league games up until early December, Fulham have scored in one of their past six Premier League matches. Only Sheffield United have scored fewer away from home. Neither Rodrigo Muniz nor Carlos Vinícius have provided the cutting edge that a team with creative talent requires, as the Aleksandar Mitrovic-sized hole continues to stifle Fulham's development. The duo need to step up at Burnley. Their opportunities are likely to be limited even further once the transfer window reopens this summer. AH

    Burnley v Fulham, Saturday 3pm

Athletic Newcastle a match for old-school power
fter a dodgy period, Newcastle might just be on the way back, giving Manchester City a run for their money before winning away at Fulham, in the Cup, and Villa, in the league in midweek. They were particularly impressive in dealing with Unai Emery's side, the direct, intelligent running of Anthony Gordon making him the best of a very good bunch. But where Villa's high defensive line is inviting for players with his pace and drive, Luton will not be as accommodating, fresh off a commanding midweek triumph – their third in five league games. Though the first victory in that run came over Newcastle it was recorded at Kenilworth Road and Eddie Howe's side, 14th in the away-record table, are fourth in the home version. Moreover, with a team full of imposing athletes who ask physical questions of opponents they are well equipped to deal with the Hatters' old-school style. Expect them to continue their recent improvement. DH

    Newcastle v Luton, Saturday 3pm

A defensive rethink for Emery?
Unai Emery has done a fantastic job as manager of Aston Villa. It's fair to say that he inherited a very useful and expensive squad, but how to extract the most from it was a question that befuddled Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard before him. Emery, though, very quickly did what they could not, deciding on a system and personnel, then drilling them as they settled. The question now, though, is whether a minor rethink is required, because against teams with fast, direct attackers and good passers in midfield, the Emery's high line looks something of a liability. It has cost Villa two defeats to Newcastle – 5-1 on the opening weekend of the season and 3-1 in midweek – and a two-goal lead away to Manchester United, who visit next weekend. So, though they should take care of Sheffield United �– and many other teams in the division – easily enough, it might just be time for a defensive tweak. DH

    Sheffield United v Aston Villa, Saturday 5.30pm

Sels the solution for Nuno?
One of the first big questions that came Nuno Espírito Santo's way upon taking charge of Nottingham Forest centred on how he would play the goalkeeping situation. Nuno, a former goalkeeper who won the Champions League at Porto under José Mourinho, knows what an elite shot-stopper looks like. Forest had Brice Samba en route to promotion and then Dean Henderson and Keylor Navas joined on loan last season, all of whom quickly established themselves as fans' favourites. Nuno made it clear he would give Matt Turner and Odysseas Vlachodimos a chance to stake their claim for the No 1 spot but both have been unconvincing, the former making another costly error in defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday. Forest's deadline-day move for Matz Sels, who failed to impress at Newcastle, making nine appearances across two forgettable years, feels underwhelming but Nuno needs it to be a master-stroke. Ben Fisher

    Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest, Sunday 2pm

Blundering Blues seek lift from Nkunku
Christopher Nkunku's goalscoring cameo was one of the only positives from Chelsea's humbling by Liverpool. The forward produced a neat finish and was unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty. Chelsea will hope there is more to come. Nkunku is seen as the most talented player at the club but has struggled to stay fit since joining from RB Leipzig last summer. Expect Mauricio Pochettino to put him in from the start when Wolves visit Stamford Bridge. Chelsea need a grownup in the team. Jacob Steinberg

    Chelsea v Wolves, Sunday 2pm

Ten Hag has tools to stay on at United
If Erik ten Hag is to save his job then his case is made stronger by having a fully fit squad. Though should that group blow winning positions as they almost did at Wolves then he will run out of excuses. In pre-season the plan was to have André Onana protected by a defensive pairing of Lautaro Martínez and Raphaël Varane behind Casemiro, with Kobbie Mainoo learning from the Brazilian. That group has barely played together and by consequence Rasmus Højlund has been on the steepest of learning curves, fending for himself up front. At Wolves, in the first half, United's engine room purred as Højlund thrived. As for Marcus Rashford, selecting him after his Belfast excursion looked the action of a weak manager incapable of dishing out discipline. It proved effective; reigniting Rashford would be a useful tool in self-preservation. As is Mainoo's continuing contribution though Ten Hag's team still lack the means to kill off opponents. John Brewin

    Manchester United v West Ham, Sunday 2pm

Bradley's wings to be clipped – for now
Manchester City lurk with intent and course-and-distance experience so a meeting between Arsenal and Liverpool becomes an effective run-off between who will be the serial champions' closest challengers. If Jürgen Klopp's valedictory season is to end in the title celebration with fans denied by a pandemic in 2020, then the leaders avoiding defeat at Arsenal – at least – appears a necessity. That Liverpool are surfing a wave of emotion is only enhanced by the romance of Conor Bradley's breakthrough but once Trent Alexander-Arnold proved himself capable of playing the last 22 minutes of the 4-1 crushing of Chelsea, having done similar against Norwich, his return to the team became a fait accompli. In a post-Klopp Liverpool, Bradley's rise may soon push Alexander-Arnold into a more permanent midfield role, but even if the Tyrone tyro looks a more natural defender it would be a surprise if the vice-captain begins such a vital match on the bench. JB

    Arsenal v Liverpool, Sunday 4.30pm

Manchester City's run-in with the Bees
Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have calculated the precise quantity of effort and focus required to get at least one point more than whoever is chasing them, burning off challengers with previously improbable winning runs that begin in the nick of time. And they are poised to do likewise this season, beating Newcastle and Spurs in two of their past three games, the consecutive-victory count now up to eight in league and cups, with Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones and Erling Haaland all back. Brentford, though, did the double over City last season and, though the second triumph came with the title settled, their style – physical, direct and high-energy but also technical – is more than capable of causing problems. In particular, Ivan Toney will be eager to make up for lost time while earning the move he wants and forcing his way into England's Euro 2024 squad, all of which should make for a fun evening at the Community Stadium. DH

    Brentford v Manchester City, Monday 8pm



https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/premier-league-10-things-look-000132880.html

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Chelsea striker Armando Broja signs for Fulham in transfer deadline day loan deal
Cottagers beat Wolves to sign Albanian until end of the season

Armando Broja has completed a transfer deadline day switch to Fulham on loan from Chelsea.

A nervous wait on Thursday night ended with the official announcement coming after midnight, over an hour after the window closed with the deal sheet put in to allow extra time to finalise the move.

The Cottagers have agreed a deal worth up to £4million with their west London neighbours having beaten competition from Wolves to sign Broja until the end of the season.

Should Broja play more than 50 per cent of Fulham's games during his loan spell, the fee will be reduced to a nominal amount.

Chelsea hope that will encourage them to give the young striker valuable gametime after he struggled to cement a place in Mauricio Pochettino's starting line-up.

"It feels amazing," he told the club website. "I'm really happy to be here and I can't wait to get started, meet the players and manager and play for the fans.

"The fans always play a big role and I can't wait to go to Craven Cottage and meet them all. I'm going to work hard for the team and create a real bond. I'm really honoured and excited to be here."

It is understood that the Blues will be open to selling Broja in a permanent deal this summer, with the hope of his value increasing as a result of regular playing opportunities at Fulham.

Marco Silva recently lost Raul Jimenez to a hamstring injury after the late summer exit of Aleksandar Mitrovic impacted their plans for the season.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-fc-armando-broja-signs-fulham-b1136493.html

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Armando Broja joins Fulham on loan from Chelsea

    Fulham sign Armando Broja on loan for rest of season
    Chelsea could receive up to £4m for deal
    Broja joins Fulham despite rival interest from Wolves

Fulham have completed the signing of Armando Broja on loan from Chelsea until the end of the 2023/24 season.

Chelsea had been looking to shift Broja before Thursday's transfer deadline, though for much of January they were demanding a permanence to any potential exit.

However, their stance changed on deadline day and they were open to straight loan offers if they included a fee, with Fulham beating Wolves to his signing after losing Raul Jimenez to injury.

Confirmation of the move was confirmed just after midnight on Friday after Fulham submitted a deal sheet to the Premier League.

It's been widely reported that Fulham will pay Chelsea a base fee of £750,000, but this could rise to £4m if certain conditions are met.

Broja was last week compared to Harry Kane by Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino, but he was notably left out of their starting lineup in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Liverpool.

The Albania international has registered two goals and two assists in 19 matches for Chelsea this season having spent much of the year behind Nicolas Jackson in the pecking order. Jackson has now returned from AFCON duty with Senegal and Pochettino has at times played Cole Palmer up front.

This will be Broja's first loan out of Chelsea since the 2021/22 season in which he scored nine goals in 38 games for Southampton.

Broja also has ambitions of playing at Euro 2024 with Albania, though he was ruled out of the latter stages of their qualifying campaign through injury.



https://www.90min.com/posts/armando-broja-joins-fulham-on-loan-from-chelsea

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Fulham Sign Broja

The Club is delighted to confirm the signing of striker Armando Broja on loan until the end of the season.

Making the short trip to us from Chelsea, the 22-year-old will be looking to make an impact here, similarly to how he previously did at Dutch side Vitesse and Southampton.

Speaking to FFCtv, the Albanian international said: "It feels amazing. I'm really happy to be here and I can't wait to get started, meet the players and manager and play for the fans.

"The fans always play a big role and I can't wait to go to Craven Cottage and meet them all. I'm going to work hard for the team and create a real bond.

"I'm really honoured and excited to be here."

Tony Khan added: "I'm very excited that we've reached an agreement to bring Armando Broja to Fulham on loan until the end of the season.

"He's a young and talented striker who is happy and motivated to join our squad and to play for Marco and his staff!

"Come on Fulham!"

Broja signed for Chelsea's Academy towards the end of Under-9s level and continued to score regular goals as a centre-forward and wide man. After reaching 20 Academy goals in the 2019/20 season, he went on to make his senior debut in a Premier League fixture against Everton.

The youthful striker made a few more appearances off the bench for Thomas Tuchel's side before making his Champions League debut away at Dinamo Zagreb.

He remained in favour after the arrival of new Head Coach Graham Potter, featuring in five of Chelsea's six European group-stage fixtures during the 2022/23 campaign.

Broja later went on to score his first goal in a 3-0 win over Wolves, before making a full debut at Brentford.

Following a period on the sidelines with an injury, the forward made his return against Aston Villa in September 2023, before marking his first start since returning with a goal at Craven Cottage.

https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/february/02/Fulham-Sign-Broja/