Saturday Fulham Stuff - 03/02/24...

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Fulham confirm Armando Broja signing after deal sheet drama
Fulham have officially announced the signing of Chelsea striker Armando Broja on loan for the remainder of the season.

    Fulham have signed Chelsea forward Armando Broja on loan for the rest of the season, paying a £4m fee.
    Broja fell down the pecking order at Chelsea due to new signings, but now has a chance to prove himself at Fulham.
    Fulham beat rival suitors, including Wolverhampton Wanderers and AC Milan, to secure the loan deal for Broja.

Fulham have officially completed the signing of Chelsea forward Armando Broja on loan for the remainder of the season, with the Cottagers paying a fee of around £4m to secure his signature.

Broja's future has been up in the air during the January transfer window after struggling to make a major impact for the Blues throughout the campaign. A long-term injury has scuppered his progress, but he now has a chance to prove himself in the Premier League under Marco Silva.

Mauricio Pochettino's side brought Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window, meaning Broja fell down the pecking order. Now, Fulham have taken advantage and stole a march on rival suitors, bringing the former Southampton loanee to Craven Cottage.

Fulham secure Broja loan deal from Chelsea
Earlier in the winter window, Chelsea were hoping to secure a permanent sale for Broja, valuing him at a whopping £50m. There were clubs showing an interest in acquiring the Albanian striker's services, but the hefty price tag was understandably a deterrent.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed on deadline day that Fulham had secured a deal to sign Broja on loan until the end of the season, with the Cottagers paying a £4m fee to Chelsea. David Ornstein also claimed that Wolverhampton Wanderers and AC Milan were pushing to secure his signature, but Fulham ultimately won the race.

Just after the deadline had officially passed, Nizaar Kinsella reported that Fulham had submitted a deal sheet before 11pm in order to complete the transfer. The capital club have now officially announced that a deal for Broja has been completed.

Fulham's current attacking options have been disappointing so far this season in the Premier League. Raul Jimenez tops Silva's side's goalscoring charts with just five strikes, with backup centre-forward Carlos Vinicius finding the back of the net twice.

Fulham failed with move for winger
According to Italian journalist Romano, Fulham made a late approach to try and sign West Ham winger Said Benrahma. However, the 28-year-old has already flown to France to complete a move to Ligue 1 outfit Lyon, with a deal set to be announced in the final hours. However, in the final hours of the night, Romano reported that a deal between Lyon and Benrahma had collapsed at the final hurdle.

Although Silva hasn't secured the signing of an additional winger, Broja will give the Cottagers another dimension in attack, and he certainly has something to prove after a disappointing campaign with Chelsea.



https://www.givemesport.com/armando-broja-fulham-transfer-news/

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Fulham finally complete Broja loan
Fulham have finally completed the protracted loan deal to bring Armando Broja from Chelsea until the end of the season.

The local rivals had been negotiating for much of January to ensure that Marco Silva's top target arrived at Craven Cottage – with the signing becoming all the more vital after Raul Jimenez strained his hamstring in the midweek draw against Everton. The 22 year-old's short switch along the Fulham Road was ratified by the Premier League after the Whites had submitted a deal sheet as they were unable to complete all the paperwork that accompanied Broja's change of registration before the 11pm deadline.

Broja, who had an unsuccessful train as a child at Motspur Park, rejected a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers once Chelsea and Fulham had reached agreement on the terms of the loan on Thursday. He joins Fulham having scored his only Premier League goal of an injury-hit campaign at Craven Cottage for Chelsea in October – with the Cottagers able to pay no loan fee for his services should he start more than half of their games between now and the end of the season.

Broja, who has spent time on loan at Vitesse Arnhem and Southampton earlier in his career, told FFCTV:

"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."

The Albanian international could make his Fulham debut at Burnley on Saturday.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/02/fulham-finally-complete-broja-loan/

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Fulham complete the signing of Chelsea striker Armando Broja on loan until the end of the season... with the Cottagers only paying an initial £750,000 to borrow the Albania

    Fulham have completed the signing of Chelsea striker Armando Broja on loan
    The striker underwent his medical at the club on Thursday night before signing

Fulham have completed the signing of Chelsea striker Armando Broja on loan until the end of the season, penning a complex deal which could equate to £4million.

The Albania striker underwent his medical at the club on Thursday night before signing for the Cottagers on loan until the end of the season.

Fulham will pay an initial £750,000 to loan Broja, but the fee could rise to £4m depending on a complex appearances and performance payment structure.

Chelsea initially wanted a deal worth £50m for Broja this month on either a permanent or a loan with an obligation to buy.

But those conditions changed dramatically this morning after it emerged Chelsea would accept a £5million loan fee for Broja.


Fulham have completed the signing of Chelsea striker Armando Broja on loan until the end of the season, penning a deal which could equate to £4million
 

Marco Silva ensured the Whites beat Wolves to the signing of the 22-year-old striker

Even then, however, Fulham and Wolves - who were also interested in Broja - refused to meet Chelsea's asking price.

Fulham made a breakthrough in discussions and will pay a maximum of £4m for Broja - but the expectancy is the Craven Cottage club will pay significantly less provided the 22-year-old plays regularly between now and the end of the season.

Mail Sport previously reported that Gary O'Neil and Wolves' recruitment team were big admirers of the Albanian forward.

Broja has scored twice in 19 appearances for the club this season, after having made his return from an ACL injury that had kept him sidelined for almost a year.

The forward was an unused substitute on Wednesday night, as Chelsea were beaten 4-1 by Liverpool at Anfield.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13035935/Fulham-complete-signing-Chelsea-striker-Armando-Broja-loan-end-season-Cottagers-paying-initial-750-000-borrow-Albania.html

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Transfer deadline day 2024: Premier League January spending down by £715m compared with 2023
Spending by Premier League clubs in January dipped significantly after three successive record-breaking windows - with teams splashing out £715m less than in the 2023 winter window.

The combined outlay of the 20 top-flight clubs was £100m - the lowest January spend in a non-Covid season since £60m in 2011-12 - and vastly lower than last year's spend of £815m, according to financial services firm Deloitte.

Just £30m in disclosed fees was spent on deadline day, another considerable drop on the £275m spent on the same day 12 months ago.

There were only 17 permanent transfers made by Premier League clubs during the window, with a further 13 loan deals - including seven permanent and six loan deals on deadline day.

Despite the relatively modest January total the 2023-24 season still has the second-highest transfer spend ever, with £2.5bn shelled out across both transfer windows - driven by clubs' record-breaking expenditure in the summer.

Other notable numbers include:

    English Football League (EFL) spending during the window fell to £15m compared to £25m in January 2023
    Spending across the rest of Europe's 'big five' leagues - Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga, France's Ligue 1 and Germany's Bundesliga - rose to £388m from £218m in the January 2023 window
    Ligue 1 clubs had the highest gross transfer spend among Europe's 'big five' with expenditure of £162m, followed by the Premier League (£100m), Serie A (£85m), Bundesliga (£70m) and La Liga (£70m)
    It is the first January window since 2019 that the Premier League was not the biggest spending league globally - and first window since summer 2011 that it was not Europe's biggest spending league
    Spending by Saudi Pro League clubs was significantly lower in this January transfer window (£21.3m) compared to the £853m spent in the summer 2023 window.

Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said: "After record-breaking spending in the last three transfer windows, Premier League clubs' spending this January has been subdued.

"The more prudent approach is likely driven by the high level of spend invested during the summer window but may also have been influenced by a heightened awareness of the Premier League's financial regulations and the potential repercussions of non-compliance.

"Securing the highest quality player talent remains pivotal for Premier League clubs, but we've seen in this window that retention has been of higher priority than attraction."



Financial rules have chilling effect
The charges hanging over Everton and Nottingham Forest for allegedly breaching the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are likely to have had a chilling effect on spending.

Under the top-flight's PSR, clubs are only allowed to make losses of £105m over a rolling three-year period.

The Toffees were deducted 10 points in November for breaching the league's financial rules in their 2021-22 accounts, with the club having appealed against the decision.

Everton and Forest were then charged last month for alleged breaches in their 2022-23 accounts, with their cases due to be dealt with before the end of the season.

Why else is spending down?
There are other factors that may have helped to suppress spending, including:

    Quiet month in foreign leagues, including Saudi Arabia - so there is less money sloshing around the market
    New Uefa cost controls which came in this season - clubs competing in Europe must limit spending to 90% of club revenue, reducing to 70% by 2025.
    Only two manager changes this season - compared to 11 last year, means fewer new managers are looking to bring in their own players
    Back-to-back record windows - means squads are naturally stronger so do not require significant investment
    Spending typically lower in January - the record spend of 2023 is the exception rather than the rule when compared to spending in previous windows
    Emergence of young players - clubs are utilising their academies more rather than bringing in talent, with players such as Conor Bradley, Lewis Miley and Oscar Bobb establishing themselves in their senior sides.

Will spending continue to fall?
"I think what we are storing up is a spending circus in the summer because there has been so much pressure on these clubs," Professor Rob Wilson, football finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, told BBC Sport.

"We have seen the news about Everton and their 10-point deduction, the additional charges for Everton and Nottingham Forest and the pressure the huge amount of Premier League is under from the government with regards to an independent regulator, so everybody is a bit scared about what to do right now.

"Managers and sporting directors will be looking keenly at their PSR calculations to see if they can spend a bit more heavily in the summer.

"You'd imagine that the spending will be much heavier in the summer - I just don't necessarily think it will reach those multi-billion pound levels we have seen in years gone by."

Calum Ross, assistant director in Deloitte's Sports Business Group, said: "The domino effect created by high-value transfers and a desire to improve on-pitch performance ahead of the final part of the season are usually key drivers of transfer spending, but this hasn't been reflected in January's subdued transfer window.

"As we move towards this summer's window, and a new financial year, we expect to see spending return to similar levels we have seen in the last two record-breaking summer transfer windows."
Winter transfer window spending season by season



What deals were done on deadline day?
The biggest permanent deal of deadline day was Crystal Palace's capture of Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton for an initial £18m, potentially rising to £22m.

That is in sharp contrast to the biggest deal on deadline day in January 2023, which was Chelsea's then-British record £107m deal for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.

Aston Villa signed forward Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough in a deal worth £8m that could rise to £15m. Villa also signed Australia keeper Joe Gauci from Adelaide United and full-back Lino Sousa from Arsenal, with the England Under-19 international immediately joining Championship side Plymouth on loan.

Other notable deadline day deals include:

    Rodrigo Ribeiro from Sporting to Nottingham Forest on loan
    Maxime Esteve from Montpellier to Burnley on loan
    Lorenz Assignon from Rennes to Burnley on loan
    Enes Unal from Getafe to Bournemouth on loan
    Mason Holgate from Everton to Sheffield United on loan
    Armando Broja from Chelsea to Fulham on loan.

What were the biggest transfers in January?
The most eye-catching deals were high-profile loans, such as Kalvin Phillips' move from Manchester City to West Ham, Borussia Dortmund re-signing England winger Jadon Sancho from Manchester United and Eric Dier moving to Bayern Munich from Tottenham.

Tottenham made the biggest permanent signing of a low-key window, bringing in 21-year-old Romania defender Radu Dragusin from Italian side Genoa for £25m. They also signed Germany striker Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig until the end of the season.

A lot of the other permanent deals involved young players, including 19-year-old Argentine winger/full-back Valentin Barco joining Brighton from Boca Juniors for £7.9m and Manchester City signing Argentina Under-17 midfielder Claudio Echeverri from River Plate.
Number of permanent Premier League January signings window by window





https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68174872

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Burnley predicted team to face Fulham as Vincent Kompany faces striker conundrum - gallery
After the drama of transfer deadline day, the focus returns to on-the-field matters as Burnley face a must-win encounter against Fulham.

Jordan Beyer, Hannes Delcroix and Charlie Taylor all remain doubts after missing the midweek 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Vincent Kompany did, however, suggest one of three could be back in contention for tomorrow's return to Turf Moor.

Elsewhere, Luca Koleosho and Nathan Redmond remain long-term absentees.

With that in mind, here's how we think the Clarets could line up:

1. GK - James Trafford
The stopper will be keen to keep a much-needed clean sheet after being given a busy evening at the Etihad in midweek.

2. RB - Vitinho
The Brazilian full-back will be hoping to enjoy a much quieter evening than the one he encountered against Jeremy Doku at the Etihad.

3. CB - Dara O'Shea
It was a tough evening against City, but O'Shea has been one of Burnley's most consistent performers in recent weeks.

4. CB - Hjalmar Ekdal
Ekdal is likely to start again, unless Burnley are able to get Jordan Beyer or Hannes Delcroix back from injury.

5. LB - Ameen Al-Dakhil
The Belgian did relatively well at left-back in midweek, even bagging his first goal for the club.

6. CM - Josh Brownhill
The skipper will need to deliver another big shift in the middle of the park if the Clarets are to get the victory they so badly need.

7. CM - Sander Berge
Berge was in impressive form against Fulham during Burnley's win at Craven Cottage, getting on the scoresheet in their 2-0 win.

8. RW - Johann Gudmundsson
Will need to have much more of an impact after disappointing against Man City in midweek.

9. LW - Wilson Odobert
Scored last time out against Fulham, but will need to be much better than he was against City on Wednesday night.

10. ST - Zeki Amdouni
Should have done much better with his big chance against City. At threat of being dropped if Kompany hands a first start to David Fofana.

11. ST - Lyle Foster
Fans would love to see Foster paired with David Fofana up top, but will it happen? I'm not sure it will, not from the start at least.




https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/burnley-predicted-team-to-face-fulham-as-vincent-kompany-faces-striker-conundrum-gallery-4501589

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Goalkeeper looking to impress at Ross County while on loan from Fulham
GOALKEEPER George Wickens says he is determined to take his opportunity of playing first team football while on loan at Ross County.

The 22-year-old arrived in Dingwall during the January transfer window from Fulham on a loan deal until the end of the season.

He played for Ross County in the 1-0 defeat against Celtic last Saturday and kept his place in the starting line-up in the 2-2 draw at Livingston on Tuesday.

Wickens says he is relishing the chance of playing in the Scottish Premiership while on loan with the Staggies, who face St Johnstone at the Global Energy Stadium tomorrow.

He says he was having a frustrating time at Fulham, but is determined to take his chance while on loan at the Staggies.

"Over the last 18 months I haven't played an awful lot of football, for reasons at Fulham, which has been frustrating," said Wickens.

"I only played a handful of games for Fulham's under-21s this season – maybe three or four.

"It was obviously tough coming here. One of the big things for a goalkeeper to build confidence is playing games.

"When I was playing once on average every three or four weeks, it was hard to build that.

"I was fortunate enough to be able to come up here and get an opportunity. I'm just taking each game as it comes, and getting in the right sort of mindset for the games."

Wickens is one of seven loan players at Ross County who have all been in the starting line up in the matches against Celtic and Livingston. He was one of six players who arrived during the January transfer window.

He arrived along with Brendon Khela from Birmingham City in addition to Cameron Borthwick-Jackson from Slask Wroclaw, Loick Ayina from Huddersfield Town, Eli King from Cardiff City and Teddy Jenks from Forest Green Rovers were also brought to Dingwall during the window last month.

They arrived with Will Nightingale from Wimbledon who came in on loan at the start of the campaign when Malky Mackay was still in charge of the club.

Wickens says with players coming from outside Scotland, it has been a chance to bond more and form a good team spirit.



https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/sport/goalkeeper-looking-to-impress-at-ross-county-while-on-loan-f-340955/

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Beyer, Delcroix & Taylor: Burnley injury update ahead of must-win Fulham clash
Vincent Kompany is hopeful of having one more player back from injury for Burnley's must-win clash against Fulham tomorrow.

Jordan Beyer, Hannes Delcroix and Charlie Taylor were all absent from Burnley's squad for their midweek 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Kompany has so far declined to provide any details on their absences and the extent of any knocks picked up.

However, speaking ahead of tomorrow's return to Turf Moor, the Clarets boss did suggest there could be some positive news for at least one of the three.

"Maybe one of the names you mentioned [could be back], but for the rest I don't know," he said.

"Everyone got their load on Wednesday night and we have our training session on Friday leading into Fulham and that's when we'll have the complete picture."

Kompany added: "It didn't look like we picked up any injuries [from the Man City game], so for us it's just about making sure we get the recovery spot on.

"It looks like the team is ready to go to Fulham."

Elsewhere, Luca Koleosho and Nathan Redmond remain long-term absentees.

As for Fulham, Harry Wilson is struggling with a shoulder problem while Raul Jimenez and Issa Diop both have hamstring issues.

Adama Traore is out with a thigh injury, while Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey are still at the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria.



https://www.burnleyexpress.net/sport/football/beyer-delcroix-taylor-burnley-injury-update-ahead-of-must-win-fulham-clash-4501528

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'Very excited'... Director overjoyed to sign really 'talented' player from Chelsea
Fulham Sporting Director Tony Khan has given his verdict on Armando Broja after signing him from Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea.

Broja joined Fulham from London and Premier League rivals Chelsea on the final day of the January transfer window.

So, what has Tony Khan said about Armando Broja? Let's take a look.

Armando Broja joins Fulham on loan from Chelsea
Well, Chelsea decided to send Armando Broja to Fulham on loan on the final day of the January transfer window.

Fulham have announced on their official website that they have secured the services of Broja on a loan deal until the end of the season.

As we reported on HITC, Chelsea were initially looking for an obligatory clause of £40 million, but the former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners eventually lowered their demands.

Tony Khan reacts
As you can see below, Fulham Sporting Director Tony Khan is over the moon to have signed Armando Broja from Chelsea on a loan deal.

Khan seems to rate the 22-year-old Albania international striker very highly.

Broja is a very talented player and is rated highly by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

There have been injury issues for him in the past, but the youngster is fit and available now.

It will be interesting to see how Broja does at Fulham in the coming weeks and months.

The 22-year-old will hope to hit the ground running at Craven Cottage and make an immediate impact on the team.

Broja made six starts and seven substitute appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea this season. He scored one goal in those games.

The striker has made 58 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. Broja has scored eight goals in those games.

Fulham are 13th in the Premier League table now with 25 points from 22 matches.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2024/02/02/very-excited-director-overjoyed-to-sign-really-talented-player-from-chelsea/

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Broja 'can't wait to get started'
New signing Armando Broja says he 'can't wait to get started' after finally signing for Fulham on loan from Chelsea in the small hours of the morning.

The Albanian international's loan move to Craven Cottage required a Premier League deal sheet to be ratified after negotiations between the near neighbours took most of deadline day, but Broja couldn't hide his delight at making the short journey along the Fulham Road when he sat down to talk to FFCTV:

"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.

It's not easy when there's a lot of talk around you. I had multiple conversations with my family, with my agent and I just felt like Fulham was the best club that would suit me. They've had some good number nines here before: Mitrovic was here and I know they've got [Raul] Jimenez, but he picked up the injury – for me it was an easy one. I spoke to my parents and said to them that I want to go there, help the team as much as possible and score us much as possible. It was an easy one for me.

I was here when I was seven, I trialled for a bit here as well – I remember the facility a little bit and it is a familiar place for me. It's just down the road. Craven Cottage is amazing. It is really close to the pitch, you can feel the atmosphere from the fans. It is really close to Chelsea, so there's always that competition and rivalry, but it felt amazing. I've watched a lot of clips and games that Fulham have played this season. I like the way that they play, they play some really good football and I feel I can show everyone what I'm really about here.

I know I have come back from a big injury but I want to stake my claim again. I'm really looking forward to showing I can push on and help out the team as much as I can, score as many goals as possible and getting assists. I want to woke my socks off the team and help the manager. I want to try and be a really good model, a really good person and a really good player as well."



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/02/broja-cant-wait-to-get-started/

[WhiteJC]

'Official offer' made to sign Fulham player – Out of market, but 'negotiations continue'
Galatasaray have made contact to sign Fulham's Carlos Vinícius, according to a late claim.

The winter market in Turkey is open until February 9th, allowing their clubs to make new signings even though the window in the UK closed on Thursday.

Ajansspor state the Istanbul club are looking for a striker and the Fulham player has emerged as a surprise candidate.

It's claimed Galatasaray have made an 'official offer' to Marco Silva's side. Their proposal is to sign the 28-year-old on a loan deal with an option to buy, but the report makes no mention of the fee for the purchase option.

A Spor journalist Emre Kaplan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share an additional update on the Turkish club's pursuit of the Brazilian.

He explains that Galatasaray have made 'important progress' in this operation and the 'negotiations continue' to sign Vinícius before the window in Turkey closes next Friday.

The South American has made two league starts this season. On deadline day, Fulham signed Armando Broja from Chelsea and his arrival could see Vinícius drop further down the pecking order. This may convince Marco Silva's side to accept Galatasaray's offer.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/official-offer-made-sign-fulham-player-negotiations-continue-deal-outside-winter-market/

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Bundesliga club CEO 'could only laugh' at reports of Fulham dropping deadline day bid for 25-y/o
Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle 'could only laugh and shake his head' at reports of Fulham firing a deadline day bid for Silas.

The Cottagers were in the market for offensive reinforcements, eventually agreeing to land Armando Broja on loan from Chelsea.

"I was sitting in Stuttgart CEO Alexander Wehrle's office on Deadline Day when it was reported that Fulham had made an offer for forward Silas (25)," the Bundesliga reporter told CaughtOffside in his exclusive column. "The Stuttgart boss could only laugh and shake his head at this news."

The Bundesliga hitman has enjoyed a more than respectable tally of nine goal contributions in 19 games – at a rate of one goal or assist every 92.22 minutes.

The numbers around Broja
It's a move that should suit all parties involved given the Albanian's limited game time at Stamford Bridge over the past two campaigns.

The former Southampton loanee did enjoy a reasonably prolific campaign for the Saints during his time on the south coast in 2021/22, registering 10 goal contributions in 38 appearances.

An important addition also in light of Raúl Jiménez's hamstring injury concern, with the former Wolves man potentially set to be sidelined for weeks.

No Silas for now, though Marco Silva's men have still successfully secured an exciting forward talent in time for the remainder of their campaign.



https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/02/02/bundesliga-ceo-laugh-report-fulham-bid/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham's single January deal feels too little, too late
So, Armando Broja is finally a Fulham player. The deal to take the Albanian international went through in the wee small hours of Friday morning after weeks of wrangling between the Whites and Chelsea. There can be no doubt that Raul Jimenez's injury in midweek made the acquisition of a new striker non-negotiable because, as good as Marco Silva is, he could be expected to keep the side competitive by relying on only Rodrigo Muniz and Carlos Vinicius up front.

Silva, who surprised many of us by signing a new contract at Craven Cottage even after an uncertain summer that saw Fulham fail to replace Aleksandar Mitrovic having lost the struggle to keep the Serbian, was clear about how crucial bringing in a new forward was during his press conference yesterday afternoon:

"It is not just because Raul got injured, but last summer we sold a striker for a big amount of money and were not able to replace him. Until now we have not been able to sign another one. It was important last summer and from the beginning of the window. I said three weeks ago that I expected a quiet window, I was speaking about a financial point of view and feedback from the club. It was not possible. One thing is what we need, and the other is what is possible. Sometimes they are not together. We are trying to reinforce our attack line, not just one position."

The threadbare nature of Fulham's squad was underlined by the fact that Kristian Sekularac, a talented under-21 winger, was drafted onto the bench against Everton in midweek following Harry Wilson's shoulder injury. With Adama Traore still struggling with a hamstring complaint of his own, Silva is shocking short of wide players given how much his system depends on the effectiveness of inverted wingers. Willian remains a class act, but he is 35 and looked completely knackered after an hour in midweek, whilst the versatile Bobby De Cordova-Reid is currently Fulham's only option on the opposite flank at present.

Nobody can claim that Fulham were unaware of the need to bring in back up on the flanks because they made late approaches for any number of players. The frenzied search for a forward took them across Europe before they managed to negotiate a deal for Broja – despite Tony Khan memorably claiming that he 'can't be in the business of developing other people's players' when he made some fairly wounding comments about Ryan Sessegnon four years ago – whilst they tried to hijack Lyon's move for Said Benrahma and failed with an audacious attempt to sign the immensely gifted Rayan Chekri. A swoop for Silas reduced the Stuttgart CEO to laughter as well. It all felt like a last-minute trolley dash when signings earlier in January could have strengthened Silva's hand and might have even helped Fulham progress in the cup competitions.

It is true that there were fewer deals done in January than normal with the top flight clubs all treading carefully to avoid PSR problems, but Fulham have always pushed things to the brink when it comes to deadline dealings. Some of that is a search for value, yet it is also an inevitable consequence of the club's director of football holding multiple positions in other businesses. Nobody can doubt Tony Khan's enthusiasm for Fulham but Silva's quest to turn London's oldest club into a competitive force in the top flight has been undermined twice this season. The Whites failed to build on their remarkable return to the top flight in the summer – and you can hardly say the manager has been backed in this window either.

Careful husbandry of the finances is one thing but Fulham's FFP predicament is a result of frenzied recruitment during the yo-yo period. The club's hierarchy have serious questions to answer not only in how they have supported a superb manager, but in terms of what they communicate to a fan base that is rapidly falling out with absentee owners. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that when it comes to recruitment things can only get only better.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/02/fulhams-single-january-deal-feels-too-little-too-late/

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Are "second-choice" players treated too harshly?

Fulham have only recently shaken off the tag of being a yo-yo club. Over the past six years, we have been promoted three times. As a result of each of them, there's been pressure to get new players in the squad in order to succeed at the highest level. Fulham has spent £209 million in total over the last three promotion seasons.

A by-product of that activity has typically been that certain players who managed to get us promoted in the first place are immediately deemed not good enough for the top division. Marco Silva, however, has proven this is not the case. He's brought the best out of those players and proven that they have the quality to thrive in the Premier League.

Despite this, an agenda against what could be deemed as "second-choice" players still exists. Could this level be considered too harsh?

Give them time

Tim Ream is a perfect example of a player who's been unfairly scapegoated in our Premier League campaigns in the past. Under both Slaviša Jokanović and Scott Parker, our two centre-back partnerships have been revised by bringing in Alfie Mawson and Maxime Le Marchand in 2018/19 and Joachim Andersen partnered with Tosin Adarabioyo for the 2020/21 season.

Ream saw more game time in the former season, starting 65% of games, but saw that plummet under Parker, starting in just 18%. This is a drastic change from starting in 95% of games in the Championship seasons prior to these. He became viewed among fans as too much of a liability when facing Premier League sides. Silva clearly has more trust in him, only purchasing Issa Diop in 2022, who would end up joining him in the back line. Silva has let Ream show he's capable of managing the pressure of the Premier League despite his age as he started every game that he wasn't injured last season. Ream went from a player who was classed as not good enough to becoming a regular starter. Second-choice players need to be given more respect and more of a chance.

Revival

Another player who many thought was one the wane is Tom Cairney. TC has gone from an impact sub to one of the most important players in the starting XI. Since signing in 2015 alongside Ream, TC has thrived, scoring 45 goals in 306 appearances. But to his dismay he's been cursed with knee and foot injuries. His time away has meant people have forgotten how essential he is to Fulham's success.


(Tom Cairney statistics in the league)

Similarly to with Ream, Silva took some time to realise Tom's importance. He received five man-of-the-match awards last term – the most of any player – despite only averaging 29 minutes a game. His composure on the ball has earned him his spot in the midfield from the off. When a player has been riddled with injuries, they need to be given more time to gain confidence and part of that comes from the fans remembering what a player is capable of. 

The problem

The issue of underrated second-choice players is particularly prominent with players who were brought in during Premier League seasons. It's often forgotten that we brought Joe Bryan in for the Premier League season under Slavisa Jokanovic, yet his stock plummeted during the top-flight campaign under Scott Parker. In his first season in the Premier League, Bryan played 71% of matches. This unsurprisingly increased to 84% in the Championship, but then declined steeply in the Premier League season under Parker to 18%. And yet he still didn't get much game time in the Championship under Silva, only playing 28%.

Parker favoured Antonee Robinson and Ola Aina, which is understandable given their ability. What is harder to comprehend, however, is the reason as to why fans believe he lost a lot of his ability to play football. The problem isn't the fact that other players are starting ahead of him, it's the fact that people feel we're at a massive disadvantage with him on the pitch even in the Championship.

High standards

When a player hasn't had as much game time, it's never an easy task to immediately come to grips with the style of play or compete to the same intensity, and yet so many players are expected to do so.

Michael Hector played a crucial part in our promotion under Parker after he cleared it off the line in the first leg of the play off against Cardiff. He started in the first three games of the Premier League, only to have one substitute appearance after that. He did, however, play in four cup games, which is where he received most criticism. It was after a particularly cold (literally) defeat against Burnley, in the FA cup, that he was written off.

Even though we know he can play at Championship level, again, people felt that, within a year, he became a much weaker footballer than before when he played in the same division under Silva. Even though he only played five games under Silva, he was expected to pick up on the same play style and game plan as another manager. The standards are too high for players who have played little-to-no football prior.

There's no denying that Fulham have had issues relating to strikers this season. Originally, the debate between who started consisted of just Raul Jimenez and Carlos Vinicius; Muniz wasn't even in the conversation. This is down to the fact that he was constantly in the shadow of Mitrovic in the Championship and had a loan spell at Middlesborough the season after where he only played just 889 minutes. Muniz has almost surpassed this figure already this season.

Despite this, whenever called into action after the absence of Mitrovic, he delivered. His goals-to-minutes ratio in the 2021/22 season was just short of Mitro's at 0.0102 compared to 0.0112. Muniz has shown positive signs this campaign through performances against Ipswich and Man United by proving he arguably has the best hold up play out of the three options. This goes to show that second choice players aren't always a worse option and may even be the best option.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2024-02-02-are-second-choice-players-treated-too-harshly/

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Armando Broja Joins Fulham From Chelsea in Loan Deal That Could Cost £4m
Chelsea forward Armando Broja has joined Fulham on loan until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old had featured in 13 of Chelsea's first 22 Premier League games of the season, with his only goal coming in a 2-0 win against Fulham in October.

Broja will wear the no.9 jersey for his new team and could make his debut away at Burnley on Saturday.

The loan deal does not include an option for Fulham to sign Broja permanently in the summer.

According to ESPN, Chelsea will receive a loan fee of £4 million - but only if Broja starts in fewer than 10 of Fulham's next 16 Premier League games.

No loan fee will be due if Broja makes 10 or more EPL starts.

Broja has every chance of being a regular starter for Fulham as long as he stays fit.

The Cottagers are short of options in attack following Aleksandar Mitrovic's sale to Al-Hilal last year and a recent injury blow for Raul Jimenez, who looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring.

Speaking to FFCtv on Thursday night, Broja said: "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 honored and excited to be here."

This is the third loan move of Broja's career. He scored 11 goals in 34 games for Dutch club Vitesse in the 2020/21 campaign, before netting nine in 38 for Southampton in the following season.

He has played 38 games for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring three goals.

Broja was born in England but plays for Albania at international level. He has so far scored four times in 17 senior international appearances.



https://www.si.com/fannation/soccer/futbol/news/armando-broja-joins-fulham-from-chelsea-in-4m-loan-deal

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Vinicius set for Galatasaray medical
Fulham forward Carlos Vinicius is travelling to Istanbul today to have a medical ahead of a proposed season-long loan move.

The Brazilian striker, who had dropped to third choice striker behind Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz over the past move, has been allowed to leave Craven Cottage after Armando Broja arrived from Chelsea on loan on deadline day.

The 28 year-old has scored eight goals in 48 appearances for Fulham since signing from Benfica two years ago. Vinicius, who has made only a single league start this term, will reassess his position in London in the summer at the end of a loan where he will try to fire the Turkish giants, currently second on goal difference between Fenerbahce, lift the Super Lig title.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/02/vinicius-set-for-galatasaray-medical/

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Burnley v Fulham

TEAM NEWS
Hannes Delcroix, Jordan Beyer and Charlie Taylor all missed Burnley's defeat at Manchester City but manager Vincent Kompany says an unnamed one of those three could return on Saturday.

Defenders Maxime Esteve and Lorenz Assignon might come into contention after arriving on loan.

Fulham have the option of giving a debut to striker Armando Broja, who has joined on loan from Chelsea.

Raul Jimenez and Issa Diop are ruled out with hamstring injuries.

Fode Ballo-Toure could return following Senegal's elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations but Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey remain at the tournament with Nigeria.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

    Burnley are unbeaten in 28 home league games against Fulham since losing 2-0 at Turf Moor in April 1951 (W22, D6). It is the longest undefeated run against an opponent at home in the Clarets' league history.
    The Cottagers have been beaten in five of their past seven Premier League games versus Burnley and are in danger of losing three consecutive fixtures against them for the first time since March 1981.

Burnley

    Vincent Kompany's side have the worst home record in this season's Premier League, losing nine of 11 matches and taking just four points.
    They have lost 16 top-flight games in the current campaign, just one fewer than their final figure when relegated in 2021-22.
    Burnley's tally of 12 points is their joint lowest at this stage of a season, equalling their total after 22 games in 1970-71 (adjusted to three points for a win), when they went on to be relegated.
    They have lost each of the last 19 top-flight fixtures in which they fell behind.
    The Clarets have scored a Premier League-high 32% of their goals from outside the penalty area this season (seven of 22), but their tally of 15 goals from inside the box is the the lowest in the division.
    Josh Brownhill is one shy of 100 Premier League appearances.

Fulham

    Fulham won 5-0 in back-to-back games in early December but have earned just one victory in their subsequent six league fixtures, failing to score five times.
    The Cottagers haven't scored in 10 Premier League matches this season, more than any other side.
    The Londoners have lost six of their past eight top-flight away games against promoted sides, with their only win in this sequence coming at Nottingham Forest last season.
    They have conceded 24 away league goals this season, matching their final total in 2022-23.
    Marco Silva's team are winless in 10 Premier League away matches (D3, L7), losing the last five in a row and failing to score in each of the past three.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68115069

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Club sort out 'every issue' with Fulham for post-transfer window deal – Player expected to travel today to sign
Galatasaray have reached an agreement with Fuham for the signing of striker Carlos Vinicius, in what is likely to be a loan deal.

That's according to TRT Spor, who say the Turkish club and Fulham have reached an agreement 'on every issue' and the Brazilian is expected in Istanbul today to finalise the deal and sign his contract.

A report earlier today indicated that Galatasaray had been in contact with Fulham over the striker, with talks underway over a deal and significant progress having been made to sign the striker before the Turkish deadline closes on February 9th.

That was then followed up by an explanation from Asist Analiz, relaying information from Ajansspor, who explained that Galatasaray had made an official offer to Fulham and that was a loan deal with an option to buy.

TRT Sport now say the deal has been agreed and the two clubs have sorted out 'every issue' in regard to the loan deal.

According to their information, the 28-year-old is expected to travel to Istanbul today and sign the contract that will tie him to the Turkish club until the end of the season.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/club-sort-every-issue-fulham-post-transfer-window-deal-player-expected-travel-today-sign/

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Before The Whistle: Fulham v Burnley

Could it be the battle of the young Chelsea loanee strikers this weekend?

OK, so it's hardly the most titanic of tussles, but the signing of Armando Broja means we were once again active on transfer deadline day – and we once again have a number nine.

Burnley, meanwhile, signed David Datro Fofana midway through the window, and the 21-year-old provided an assist off the bench against Man City in midweek.

The Clarets might be second-bottom of the Premier League, but they're 17th in the form table – with us a place below us in 18th. Six-pointer? You'd be arrogant to say it's not. And that's a problem. Because not only do Burnley have our number at Turf Moor – and they have done for 70 years – they also turned us over quite easily at the Cottage in December – but I'm sure we can all still remember that.

We're in the middle of a bit of an injury crisis at the moment. Raul Jimenez and Issa Diop both came off injured against Everton on Tuesday – combine that with the fact that Harry Wilson is out with a shoulder issue sustained against Newcastle and Traore continues to be side-lined, and we're stretched.

Willian will be forced to do another 90 this weekend, and veteran Tim Ream looks to be back int eh fold until Calvin Bassey returns, at the very least. And with the Super Eagles going so well in the AFCON, that could still be a while yet.

Everyone will have to dig deep if we're to get our first three-point haul from Turf Moor since... well, ever – because when we last won there, in April 1951, it was just two points for a victory. Well, all runs must come to an end sometime, don't they? You Whites.
ℹ️ MATCH DETAILS

Kick-Off: Saturday, 3.00PM
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Competition: Premier League
TV Channel (UK): None
🚦 LEAGUE FORM

Fulham: ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ ❌ ⬜
Burnley: ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ⬜ ❌

⚖️ MATCH PROBABILITY

Fulham: 36.4%
Draw: 29.9%
Burnley: 33.7%
🥊 MOST RECENT MATCHES

Dec 23: Fulham 0-2 Burnley
Feb 21: Burnley 1-1 Fulham
Jan 21: Fulham 0-3 Burnley
Jan 19: Burnley 2-1 Fulham



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2024-02-02-before-the-whistle-fulham-v-burnley-2/

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Gary O'Neil shares 'crazy' reason why Wolves didn't sign Armando Broja on deadline day
Gary O'Neil has revealed that Wolves did try to sign Chelsea striker Armando Broja on deadline day but were priced out of a deal by Fulham.

A striker was right at the top of Gary O'Neil's wishlist in the January transfer window but despite their best attempts to land one, Wolves end the transfer window with less firepower than they started

After letting Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva both leave on loan, the importance of improving that position increased dramatically.

But given their financial restrictions, it became difficult for them to add any players who could add real value, and Wanderers had to settle for just one arrival as Noha Lemina joined from PSG.

Thankfully, Wolves are in a better position than they were last year as their once well-documented scoring struggles have now been eliminated by the brand of football that O'Neil has rubber-stamped at Molineux.

This was prevalent once more in the defeat against Manchester United as Wolves very nearly sealed a special comeback by scoring three goals, however, their hearts were broken by Kobbie Mainoo's 97th-minute winner.

After the match, O'Neil admitted that the distraction of their clash against Man United scuppered their chances of signing a new striker.

Gary O'Neil wanted Armando Broja to join Wolves
Broja emerged as a target for Wolves in this window as they sought to sign a striker.

Unfortunately, Chelsea demanded a £5 million loan fee to take him on loan and this wasn't financially feasible for the club.

Instead, Broja joined their Premier League rivals Fulham on deadline day and details have now emerged that the Cottagers will have to pay the Blues £4 million as a maximum loan fee amount, as per Fabrizio Romano, if he starts less than 10 games.

O'Neil wanted to sign the 22-year-old but was unable to force a deal through and part of that was down to the fact Wolves had to play on deadline day while other clubs were doing business.

He said: "Playing football on deadline day is a crazy idea. Yeah, we didn't manage to get a No 9 in, there were a few I really liked but we couldn't afford any. We could afford some but not ones that I thought could help us.

"We were speaking to Chelsea for most of the day about Broja but we couldn't match Fulham. That's where we're at as a football club but we haven't been deducted 10 points."

For a striker who has only scored eight Premier League goals across his career, a huge loan fee wasn't worth capturing him.

Ultimately, Wolves have shown they have enough firepower without adding to their ranks and although an injury to a key player can soon change that narrative, not signing Broja isn't the end of the world, despite O'Neil's best attempts to sign him.



https://www.molineux.news/news/gary-oneil-shares-crazy-reason-why-wolves-didnt-sign-armando-broja-on-deadline-day/

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Armando Broja pushes Fulham star out after move from Chelsea, with Cottagers attacker 'set' for imminent transfer
The arrival of Armando Broja at Fulham has had big ramifications for one of Marco Silva's other strikers, with Carlos Vinicius poised to leave England altogether.

Broja had been linked with a host of Premier League clubs earlier in the January transfer window, including West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers. But ultimately it was Fulham who won the race for the Chelsea forward, signing him on loan for the remainder of the season.

According to David Ornstein, Fulham had to fight off Wolves and AC Milan in particular to land the Albania international, who has managed just three goals in 38 appearances for Chelsea.

Fulham have agreed to pay their West London rivals a loan fee of £4million for Broja, who will compete with Rodrigo Muniz for a starting spot up front while Raul Jimenez recovers from a hamstring injury.

Broja appears to have stolen Vinicius' spot in the Fulham squad. According to the Evening Standard, Vinicius is 'set to join' Galatasaray on loan for the rest of the campaign.

The Brazilian has been deemed 'surplus to requirements' by Silva and has resultantly been placed on the loan market, with Galatasaray the first club to pounce.

Vinicius will travel to Istanbul later today (Friday) to undergo a medical. It is unlikely he will be ready to play in Galatasaray's Super Lig trip to Samsunspor tonight, though he could feature in the home clash against Bandirmaspor on Tuesday.

While the winter transfer window has closed for clubs in Europe's big five leagues, the Turkish window remains open until February 9.

This means clubs such as Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Trabzonspor could help Premier League teams by signing their unwanted players over the next week.

Vinicius will play alongside some big names at the Rams Park stadium, including Mauro Icardi, Hakim Ziyech, Wilfried Zaha and Tanguy Ndombele.



https://www.teamtalk.com/fulham/armando-broja-pushes-fulham-star-out-move-from-chelsea-attacker-set-imminent-transfer