Wednesday Fulham Stuff - 21/02/24...

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Results

Tuesday 20/02
Man City	1-0	Brentford

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Fulham player eyed for surprise England call-up, months after £3m bid rejected
Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed is now on the radar of England boss Gareth Southgate ahead of games against Brazil and Belgium.

Much of the focus in Fulham's midfield is on Joao Palhinha.

The Portugal international is a dominating figure in Fulham's engine room and has understandably received major interest.

Palhinha doesn't do it all on his own though and one fellow Fulham midfielder appears to have put himself into international contention...

Harrison Reed on England radar
The Daily Mail now report that Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed is being monitored by England boss Gareth Southgate.

It's stated that the poor form of Kalvin Phillips – even after moving on loan to West Ham United – means England now have to consider other options.

Reed is one player on the radar with Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo and Everton's James Garner also tracked.

The 29-year-old has been a battling performer and was superb for Fulham last season.

Those performances sparked interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers but Fulham rejected a paltry £3million offer.

Reed being on the England radar this time a year ago would have made sense, but right now? It's a little more surprising.

Reed has played just 240 minutes of Premier League action since the end of November.

The former Southampton talent has now been an unused substitute for four of Fulham's last seven Premier League outings.

Reed just isn't playing often enough right now, so to hear that England could call him up is something of a surprise.

Friendlies against Brazil and Belgium may be the ideal time for Southgate to try something new and give a chance to an uncapped player.

Reed's current situation means we just don't think this is the right time for a call-up, but it's nice to see a Fulham player on the England radar.



https://www.fulham.news/2024/02/20/fulham-player-eyed-for-surprise-england-call-up-months-after-3m-bid-rejected/

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Fulham in picture to sign AFCON winner – Player's sale can guarantee 'significant capital gain'
AS Roma's Evan Ndicka has ended up on Fulham's transfer agenda for the next window.

The centre-back joined the Serie A side on a free transfer last summer and has enjoyed his debut season so far. He won AFCON with Ivory Coast earlier this month, and his fine displays for club and country haven't gone unnoticed.

That's at least what ASRomaLive.it are reporting, and they name both Fulham and Juventus as contenders to sign the 24-year-old.

Tosin Adarabioyo has been featuring regularly for Marco Silva's side since he recovered from a groin injury earlier in the season.

The Fulham defender's contract lasts until the end of this season and several clubs from England and Italy are keen on securing his services in the summer.

In need to find a replacement for the 26-year-old, the London club have been looking for defensive reinforcements for months. It's claimed the Ivory Coast international's name has been included in the list of targets.

Roma haven't yet received an official offer, and will be assured a 'significant capital gain',if they were to sell their player in the summer.

Ndicka has made 20 appearances for the Giallorossi this season, managing an assist in the process.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-picture-signing-afcon-winner-players-sale-can-guarantee-club-significant-capital-gain/

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Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz forced to 'grow in a different way' after poor Middlesbrough loan spell
Rodrigo Muniz had a disappointing loan spell at Middlesbrough last term

 Marco Silva is delighted to see Rodrigo Muniz finally step up to the plate after what he described as a disappointing loan spell at Middlesbrough last season in which the Brazilian was forced to grow 'in a different way'.

Having turned Boro down to join Fulham 12 months earlier, Muniz spent last season on loan at the Riverside with the aim of gaining more match experience in England. However, having started Michael Carrick's first game in charge at Preston North End in October 2022, the striker was dropped after and wouldn't start another game all season, making only five more short cameo appearances in total.

Back at Fulham this season, they opted against another loan move after selling Aleksandar Mitrovic in the summer and though Muniz's game time was few and far between in the first half of the season, injury to Raul Jimenez has seen him start their last three, netting four Premier League goals in that time.

Asked about Muniz's bright period, Fulham boss Silva said: "We are going to be a really demanding team for them, I really believe that, and of course some of our players they are in a really good individual moment too. We took some decisions, we sold our main goal-scorer [Aleksandar Mitrovic in August], it was a chance for [Muniz] to be with our squad, and when you have a chance to play you have to step in, you have to pop up, you have to show your quality and that you are capable to do it.

"Of course, it's really competitive, that position right now, with Armando [Broja] here that is a player we really believe that came to help us and reach a different level. Rodrigo had the chance to play after the injury to Raul (Jimenez). He scored one goal, good display in 60 minutes, last week even better with two goals and the way he played 70 minutes was really good for him and he's in a good moment.

"When the club you sign has a top, top goalscorer there it's always a difficult task. Even so he was really open, with the right mindset to learn that first season. I have to say that was positive for him, even if our first striker scored 44 or 46 goals. It was a positive season for him.

"Last season unfortunately wasn't the best on the pitch. The loan, we decided something for him, was not the best. We have to be realistic, but at the same time he grew in a different way. Some difficulties for him to face, and sometimes even if you don't grow playing football matches you can grow in a different way, and even so I think it was a moment for him to think about himself, what he should do, to be in a good level, and of course he came back."



https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fulhams-rodrigo-muniz-forced-grow-28664070

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Fulham in picture to sign AFCON winner – Player's sale can guarantee 'significant capital gain'
AS Roma's Evan Ndicka has ended up on Fulham's transfer agenda for the next window.

The centre-back joined the Serie A side on a free transfer last summer and has enjoyed his debut season so far. He won AFCON with Ivory Coast earlier this month, and his fine displays for club and country haven't gone unnoticed.

That's at least what ASRomaLive.it are reporting, and they name both Fulham and Juventus as contenders to sign the 24-year-old.

Tosin Adarabioyo has been featuring regularly for Marco Silva's side since he recovered from a groin injury earlier in the season.

The Fulham defender's contract lasts until the end of this season and several clubs from England and Italy are keen on securing his services in the summer.

In need to find a replacement for the 26-year-old, the London club have been looking for defensive reinforcements for months. It's claimed the Ivory Coast international's name has been included in the list of targets.

Roma haven't yet received an official offer, and will be assured a 'significant capital gain',if they were to sell their player in the summer.

Ndicka has made 20 appearances for the Giallorossi this season, managing an assist in the process.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/fulham-picture-signing-afcon-winner-players-sale-can-guarantee-club-significant-capital-gain/

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Where's the resale value in this Fulham squad?

As Fulham approach a period of rebuilding (though we've been in one for years if you count the Riverside Stand), the club and its hierarchy will have (one would assume) examined the financial value of the group of players it currently has.

The average age of the Fulham squad is one of the highest in the Premier League; the team relies very much on players either in their prime or (in the eyes of football) past it. But make no mistake, there are a few young talents that are making their way through, and this is where Fulham will have to be savvy as the summer approaches, provided they stay in the Premier League of course.

The established model

Providing a breeding ground for talent is recognisable model for a lot of clubs that sit outside the traditional top six. Understandably named the selling clubs, the other 14 are responsible for honing talent that is developed at youth level and give younger players game time in a squad that isn't as competitive as the likes of Manchester City or Arsenal.

This is how most clubs operate across European – and indeed global – football. Selling clubs grow by staying competitive in the top division and sell their top talent at the right time, all the while scouting and reinvesting in the next stars. It's a model followed by Ajax, one of the most famous clubs in Europe, and now Aston Villa, who are currently fielding one of the best teams in the Premier League. For these clubs, growth comes from the sale of players who've been at the club since the age of six or younger, as was the case with ex-Villa academy graduate Jack Grealish. Tottenham operate in much the same way; Harry Kane's sale will eventually pay dividends too.

The academy conundrum

So, can Fulham find that critical resale value in our players who come straight from academy and make it to the top? One potential snag is if the team needs points to stay up – they can't risk playing inexperienced players in a relegation dogfight. Though not in the mire at present, the Whites aren't yet an established side that looks up instead of down. So, the likes of Jay Stansfield, Luke Harris and Martial Godo have been excluded from first team action and shipped out on loan. They will have to wait for first team minutes before they get the chance to stand out. Adam Pajiziti and Luc De Fougerolles also look like potential starlets. But they have been kept in the PL2. With the squad seeing the likes of Tosin and Bobby De Cordova-Reid out of contract in the summer, Fulham will have to find room for their young talent over the seasons ahead, or spend big to fill the gaps.

Stansfield has impressed at Birmingham this season. Regular first team action in what has been a difficult season at the Blues was the preferred method for his development. Next season it will be up to Marco to decide how much action he gets. If he continues to play well then I imagine the club will want to give him minutes next year. Otherwise, it will be one more loan spell, where he will have to be a stand-out performer in order to make the team. But by that point he'll be nearly 23, and with only Championship minutes under his belt, his value will restrict.

Fulham have also signed young players who may not be from the academy, but do still have resale value. The likes of Muniz, Bassey and Robinson all look like they can make a top-level jump (Muniz still has some convincing to do, but he's only 22). Then there is, of course, Joao Palhinha. While not a youngster, the Whites are almost certain to more than double their initial £20m outlay on the midfielder this summer, thanks to his consistent performances – and newly-signed deal. This may be the preferred mechanism for Fulham to reach the profitability levels they have in mind.

Missed opportunities

In the past young talent has been bred at Fulham, but never truly capitalised on. Meaning the young players who are bought, rather than home grown, stand more a chance of contributing to resale value. There are a few examples of where Fulham have shown that handling young talent hasn't been their best route to long-term growth.

Matt O'Reilly should have been given more time in a Fulham shirt; the highly regarded youth prospect was let go by Scott Parker who didn't want to give too much responsibility to a young player, opting instead to give minutes to Tom Cairney (rightly) and Harry Arter (wrongly). So, O'Reilly went instead to Celtic, where they could foster his talent by giving him minutes in a team that was full of quality and not under constant pressure. Fulham haven't had this luxury that comes with less pressure, but there is a question of not being able to handle top talent that is being raised here.

Fabio Carvalho was in the form of his life when he left for around £10m at the end of Fulham's most recent promotion season. Disappointingly, he's now gone back to the Championship to see if he can help Hull's play-offs push. If Fulham had tied him into a long-term deal earlier or at least kept him on for one more season, then we could have seen more of a return on investment. When Ryan Sessegnon was sold to Tottenham, it was after he'd had a full year in the Premier League, and it was for more than double the amount. Albeit the club got relegated, but the point remains, Fabio could have been given more time. The £10m would have come in one accounting period on Fulham's books, but giving him more minutes in a team that was much more likely to stay up the following year, would've been a risk worth taking to raise resale value.

Going forwards

So maybe these serve as an example, given Fulham must prioritise performance each week – spotting talent and signing them from other clubs where they already proved themselves, seems the most risk-free way to see profit. The loan-to-buy market, which despite being proved fruitful on occasion, isn't quite as reliable. The option to buy may not get exercised for various reasons.

Nonetheless, if Fulham desire to have money that goes straight back into the transfer funds budget, selling academy talent is the truest form of sustainable profit. Relying on transfers can be too dependent on the negotiation of various clauses. Staggered fees and performance-related add-ons can frequently make transfers appear to be something they are not.

Fulham may have learnt their lesson from selling top talent at the wrong time, and the result at Aston Villa this weekend really illustrates the point that profitability-focused development leads to progress in the first team. Fulham have a few players in the ranks that have potential; will they see resale value that impacts performance and club growth? Or will they end up risking less and reverting to the more experienced heads for a sustainable future? Over this summer and beyond, watch this space.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2024-02-20-wheres-the-resale-value-in-this-fulham-squad/?utm_content=cmp-true

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I hope Birmingham City make three transfers permanent in the summer
Alex Dicken takes a look at the futures of Birmingham City's five loan players and gives them a rating


Birmingham City loanees (left to right) Cody Drameh, Andre Dozzell and Jay Stansfield

Never fall in love with a loan player, they say. Birmingham City fans haven't heeded that warning where top scorer Jay Stansfield is concerned.

Stansfield has followed the trend set by Auston Trusty and Dion Sanderson before him by becoming a firm favourite during a season-long loan spell. With nine goals in 33 games across all competitions, Stansfield is on track to post the best goals haul by a Blues player since Lukas Jutkiewicz netted 15 in 2019/20.

Blues beat off competition from a dozen Championship clubs to sign Stansfield in the summer and they fended off Ipswich Town to keep him in January. Not all of Blues' loanees this season have been so successful, though.

In addition to Stansfield, Blues have Cody Drameh, Emanuel Aiwu, Oliver Burke and Andre Dozzell, who joined on a temporary basis from Queens Park Rangers in January. Blues reporter Alex Dicken has rated each deal...

Jay Stansfield (on loan from Fulham)
Rating: 9

Stansfield announced himself in style by lashing the ball past Plymouth goalkeeper Conor Hazard on his debut to secure a last-gasp victory for Blues. His performance levels have rarely dipped since that day in August.

Wayne Rooney benched him at Southampton, provoking the right reaction from Stansfield who scored as a substitute, and Tony Mowbray rested him against Sheffield Wednesday, but the 21-year-old has otherwise been ever-present in Blues' starting XI. Irrespective of whether Stansfield plays centre-forward, in his favoured number 10 position or indeed out wide, he is one of the first names on the team sheet.

Mowbray was delighted to inherit him after being among the clutch of Championship managers who Stansfield turned down in the summer and he even mooted the idea of Blues signing him permanently during a recent press conference.

Mowbray said: "I think we should definitely be in the market for (Stansfield) if there's a number where he could definitely come and play here. I think he enjoys it that much."

Stansfield is contracted to Fulham until 2027 and is clearly highly-rated by those in power at Craven Cottage. It would take a chunk of money to sign him permanently, perhaps even a record-breaking deal for Blues, but he would be worth every penny.

There is room for Stansfield's value to increase significantly and this is the sort of market Blues need to operate in if they want to reach the Premier League.

Cody Drameh (on loan from Leeds United)
Rating: 8

The 8/10 rating seems appropriate for Drameh, who has been one of Blues' most consistent performers in a chaotic season under three different managers. Drameh has made 22 appearances for Blues and recently regained his place in the line-up from Lee Buchanan.

Drameh has made four assists, too, which highlights his quality going forward on top of being a dependable defender. BirminghamLive understands Blues have an option to sign Drameh permanently from Leeds, however, with the 22-year-old due to become a free agent in July, it is largely down to him whether he remains at St Andrew's.

When asked about his future recently Drameh provided the straight bat, media trained response. He said: "I'm just taking it game by game really, focusing on the here and now, and trying to help the team out the situation we're in. Game by game, day by day."

It goes without saying that Blues should try to sign Drameh permanently. Ultimately, he has to be convinced that he will get enough pitch time and on the evidence of this season, he will.

Emanuel Aiwu (on loan from Cremonese)
Rating: 5.5

Aiwu has played 16 games and 1,200 minutes, which feels like enough time to form a fair opinion. How many of those games passed without error? He wasn't bad on his full debut against Southampton and he was actually quite good as an auxiliary right-back when Blues beat Cardiff 1-0 in December.

The Austrian performed adequately in the first half of Blues' FA Cup exit to Leicester last month before losing his way after being asked to switch to right-back for the second half. But, more often than not, his performances have been littered with mistakes.

Having just turned 23, Aiwu has time on his side and a physique suited to Championship football, but it is difficult to say Blues should take up their option - reported to be around €3million (£2.5m) - to sign him permanently from Cremonese. Even with Kevin Long set to leave Blues for Toronto, Aiwu is still fourth in line to play at centre-back behind Krystian Bielik, Dion Sanderson and Marc Roberts.
Oliver Burke (on loan from Werder Bremen)
Rating: 5

Burke, a last-minute summer arrival, has flattered to deceive in a Blues shirt. We have seen glimpses of the speed which made him coveted in his youth and prompted RB Leipzig and West Brom to lash out a combined £28m to sign him, but he hasn't impressed with any consistency.

From 20 Championship outings this season, Burke averages 68.9 percent pass completion and 0.4 key passes per game. At the other end of the statistical spectrum, WhoScored says Burke is dispossessed 0.5 times per game and let down by a heavy touch 0.7 times per 90 minutes.

Throw in the fact Burke hasn't registered a goal or an assist for Blues and has been omitted from squads since the end of January, it is difficult to see him featuring between now and May. It's for the best that Blues and Burke go their separate ways in the summer.

Andre Dozzell (on loan from QPR)
Rating: 8

Many people questioned why QPR allowed Dozzell to move to Blues - a direct rival in the Championship table - but this deal was done with the future in mind. Mowbray has chased Dozzell for some time and a permanent switch to Blues appears to be on the cards if this loan stint goes to plan.

The early signs are extremely good. Dozzell has started Blues' last four Championship matches and played an integral role in victories over Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland. He already seems to have struck up a good understanding with new midfield partner Paik Seung-ho.

"He's a young boy who I think has the talent to play in the Premier League but I don't want him playing safe back to central defender," Mowbray says of Dozzell. "You are the midfield player with the class and the quality, you are the one playing forward passes, don't be giving it back to them because they generally want to head it and kick it out.

"He's got talent, he's got a lot of scope to improve and he's got a lovely personality about him that wants to get better. He is one player that we are trying to work with to make him feel that he's a really crucial part of what we're trying to do."



https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/drameh-dozzell-stansfield-birmingham-city-28585750

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Spurs Tickets
Tickets for Fulham's fixture against Tottenham Hotspur go on sale from 10am on Thursday 22nd February.
Secure your seat as we welcome Ange Postecoglou's Spurs side to Craven Cottage for this Premier League London derby on Saturday 16th March, kick-off 5:30pm.

Tickets for 2023/24 Members* go on sale on Thursday 22nd February at 10am (one ticket per person), then to 2023/24 Season Ticket Holders to purchase additional seats on Monday 26th February at 10am (two tickets per person). Tickets will then go on sale to Supporters with Previous Booking History** on Wednesday 28th February at 10am (two tickets per person).

Supporters can secure their seat from Thursday online at tickets.fulhamfc.com and from the Fulham FC Ticket Office in person or by phone on 0203 871 0810 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).

More information regarding on sale dates and pricing for this fixture can be found here.

BUY TICKETS FROM 10AM THURSDAY

*Membership must have been purchased by 9am on Tuesday 20th February - new Members after this point would not be eligible to buy during the membership priority window.

**To qualify for Booking History status, supporters must have purchased a Fulham FC Men's First Team match ticket in the past five years. Booking History status is not valid if supporters have only previously purchased tickets against the same opposition.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2024/february/20/spurs-tickets/

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Southgate considers England call-up for Fulham midfielder who has started one of last 11 PL games
England boss Gareth Southgate is weighing up a call-up for Fulham midfielder Harrison Reed as he keeps a close eye on three uncapped players, according to reports.

The Three Lions have some upcoming friendly matches in March against Brazil and Belgium as they prepare for Euro 2024 after securing their place in the tournament last year.

Southgate will no doubt select the usual suspects in central midfield for the tournament in the summer with Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips all likely to be in Germany.

The potential selection of the latter two would likely cause uproar amongst some fans with Phillips struggling to settle at West Ham, while Henderson spent half the season playing in Saudi Arabia before moving back to Europe with Ajax.

Conor Gallagher, Curtis Jones and Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be amongst the other options Southgate considers when picking his squad and he is also looking at three uncapped midfielders.

The Daily Mail claims that England boss Southgate is 'closely following the performances' of Man Utd's Kobbie Mainoo, Fulham's Reed and Everton's James Garner.

Phillips 'remains a key part of the manager's plans' but his performances for West Ham since his loan move from Manchester City have been 'a cause for concern'.

That has led to Southgate considering the uncapped trio for friendlies in March with Reed particularly surprising considering he's only started one of Fulham's last 11 Premier League matches.

The England boss' monitoring of Mainoo makes a lot more sense with the Old Trafford academy graduate making the step up to Erik ten Hag's first team look easy.

Speaking at Thursday's Nations League draw in Paris, Southgate said of Mainoo: "He's doing brilliantly. I'm not certain he's necessarily going to be a defensive midfielder, as such.

"He's quite a progressive player but he's had a fabulous start to his career and it will be good to monitor him as we go forward."

Jordan Pickford is the undisputed number one goalkeeper for England with Aaron Ramsdale and Sam Johnstone falling down the pecking order at Arsenal and Crystal Palace, while Nick Pope is out injured at Newcastle.

And Southgate will need some more competition for Pickford this summer with Burnley's James Trafford and Crystal Palace's Dean Henderson providing possible options, while Jack Butland is performing well in Scotland for Rangers.

On Butland, Southgate added: "It is up in the air. I can't deny that so again we have to make sure we're watching everybody – Jack Butland included because he's obviously playing at a big club and is an experienced keeper.

"It's not an ideal situation with Aaron not playing, Sam at the moment not playing and Nick injured. We'll have to see how it plays out."



https://www.football365.com/news/southgate-england-call-up-fulham-reed-man-utd-mainoo-evertomn-garner

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Fulham pushing to extend contract of Nigerian central defender amid Liverpool interest
Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Premier League side Fulham have not given up hope on tying Manchester-born Nigerian central defender Tosin Adarabioyo to a new deal.

The Manchester City academy product has roughly four months left on his contract with Fulham and will departing the Londoners as a free agent in the off-season if they don't get him to sign a new deal.

Tosin was heavily linked with a departure from Fulham in the hours leading up to the close of the summer transfer window but a proposed transfer to Monaco did not see the light of day because the Cottagers did not have a replacement lined up for him.

Fulham want Tosin to extend his stay at Craven Cottage but the center-back has kept them waiting on his final decision.

There are many Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 teams interested in signing Tosin, including Liverpool who are rumored to be in the market for a central defender as a potential replacement for Virgil van Dijk .

The 26-year-old is an appealing player for most Premier League clubs due to the fact that he is a homegrown player having spent the majority of his career at Manchester City while teams in France and Italy want to sign him because he has a Nigerian passport.

He has four goals and two assists in 123 all-competition appearances since joining Fulham in October 2020.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=50532

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Fulham open to selling Joao Palhinha for the right price amid Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich links
Fulham vice-chairmain Tony Khan has told talkSPORT the club would consider any offers that 'make sense' for Joao Palhinha.

The Cottagers chief has hailed the midfielder as a core part of Marco Silva's team and a 'huge' part of the club, but admits any player is for sale for the right price.

That approach to business was on display over the summer, when Fulham cashed in on top goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic when Saudi Arabia came calling for the big Serbian.

Khan insists he 'would have loved for Mitro to be at Fulham forever', but the player's wish to leave and Al Hilal's £50million offer for the striker 'made sense for everyone'.

With Mitrovic gone after a number of rumour-filled windows, the next saga quickly became the future of Palhinha, with his solid performances in midfield attracting a host of suitors.

The 28-year-old Portuguese star was close to also leaving the London club last summer and even travelled to Germany on deadline day in September to seal a transfer to Bayern Munich, only for the deal to fall through due to Fulham's failure to find a replacement.

In the following weeks, Palhinha then signed a new five-year contract that runs until 2028 with the option of a further year, but it appears clear why the club wanted him to sign those terms.

Losing Palhinha would be a huge blow for the Cottagers, but it appears their £60m price tag on the midfielder is an affordable price for several clubs linked with an interest, including Premier League giants Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea.

And speaking to talkSPORT from Super Bowl's Radio Row in Las Vegas, Khan – whose father Shahid also owns NFL franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars – admitted could leave if the right offer is made.

"Joao Palhinha is a phenomenal player and I think Joao's acclimation to the Premier League has shown that he is an amazing player," said the Fulham chief. "He's a huge part of the core of Fulham and we love having him here.

"I would want him as part of the team for as long as possible and we were very happy to extend his contract, but if an offer came along that would make sense for everyone I think that's something you have to consider with every player at the right time.

"We wanted to keep him and we have kept him, he's staying with us and there's a lot of demand for Palhinha. He was a great signing for us.

"I love working with Marco Silva and he's someone I work really closely with over transfers and building the squad. I talk to him on a regular basis about these things, we made a great signing with Joao and there's now a huge market, eyes have opened.

"He's a great player for Fulham, we love having him and I want Joao to stay with us as long as possible.

"But it's part of the business any time you sign a player potentially you know you're hopefully going to grow their value and that might mean people are going to come in.

"It's an exciting part of the industry, but certainly he as a person is central to our team and we love having him at Fulham."

While rival Premier League clubs have recently fallen foul of financial rules due to their spending, Khan says he is proud to have built the Fulham squad while staying in the green through buying and selling.

And, while it might not be what fans want to hear,  it appears it's a long-term strategy that he's sticking to.

"All the clubs in the Premier League are bound to operate within the constraints of Financial Fair Play, and we are doing everything we can and we have had some good success in taking the team up to the Premier League and maintaining and growing the club," he explained.

"We've been able to do that in compliance with FFP – we're very proud of that and we want to continue that.

"We made moves this past summer to add to a squad that we were very happy with and that has done very great work – we have a core of a squad that we believe in.

"In January the key thing for us was to get a striker, because we lost Mitro and while Raul Jimenez came in and did excellent work and was a great signing, it was unfortunate he got injured.

"But we went out and addressed that in the market after Raul's injury, we got a good deal and fair agreement for Broja and I think that was a good signing that made financial sense to us."



https://talksport.com/football/1756193/

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Tony Khan: We're open to Palhinha offers that 'make sense'
Fulham vice chairman Tony Khan says the club would be open to offers 'that make sense' for Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha.

The 28 year-old, who has starred in his two seasons in the Premier League since an £18m move from Sporting Lisbon, was close to joining Bayern Munich on the final day of the summer transfer window but the deal couldn't be done in time to meet the German transfer deadline. Despite continuing links to Bayern, Palhinha extended his contract at Craven Cottage – and no offers materialised for the top tackler in the English top flight last month.

Khan, son of Cottagers' own Shahid Khan who is also the club's director of football, told Talksport earlier today:

"Joao Palhinha is a phenomenal player and I think Joao's acclimation to the Premier League has shown that he is an amazing player. He's a huge part of the core of Fulham and we love having him here. I would want him as part of the team for as long as possible and we were very happy to extend his contract, but if an offer came along that would make sense for everyone I think that's something you have to consider with every player at the right time.

"We wanted to keep him and we have kept him, he's staying with us and there's a lot of demand for Palhinha. He was a great signing for us. I love working with Marco Silva and he's someone I work really closely with over transfers and building the squad. I talk to him on a regular basis about these things, we made a great signing with Joao and there's now a huge market, eyes have opened.

He's a great player for Fulham, we love having him and I want Joao to stay with us as long as possible. But it's part of the business any time you sign a player potentially you know you're hopefully going to grow their value and that might mean people are going to come in. It's an exciting part of the industry, but certainly he as a person is central to our team and we love having him at Fulham.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/02/tony-khan-were-open-to-palhinha-offers-that-make-sense/

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Fulham FC extends Kitman Labs partnership for deeper analytical depth
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) performance intelligence platform Kitman Labs has extended the scope of its partnership with Fulham FC.

The partnership will enable the Premier League club's medical and performance data team to access Kitman Labs' Performance Medicine, Performance Optimisation and Coaching & Development Solutions.

These offerings will enable Fulham's teams to combine medical, performance and talent development data into a single interactive platform to help boost player performance outcomes and inform them of talent development strategies.

By deploying the Intelligence Platform across the Men's First Team and Women's Teams, Fulham will now also integrate the whole club solution. This is intended to serve "cross-departmental collaboration, eliminate data and information silos, and provide internal stakeholders with a complete, unified view of each athlete for the purposes of unlocking performance potential and expanding player pathways".

Chris Hanson, Head of Medical at Fulham FC, said: "The traditional approach to simply collecting medical and performance data will no longer suffice. We needed a single system that combines diverse sets of data across the organisation. One that ensures accuracy of information, allows the information to be shared and utilised in real time, and supports planning and player health and development with actionable insights.

"Our recent transition to the Kitman Labs Intelligence Platform has allowed us to continue to improve and manage the processes relating to the capture, cleaning, enrichment, and analysis of our football related data. It's continued to support our evolving commitments to interrogating data, interpreting results, and creating data-led insights and stories.

"We have been able to combine data sets from multiple disciplines and data streams to calculate, measure and evaluate impact for the purpose of player development. Furthermore, the platform has supported key stakeholders from across the ecology of the club to reason, reflect and strategise as a consequence of these data-led insights."

Kitman Labs and the Premier League announced the launch of the Football Intelligence Platform for all Academies last month.

The platform has an established track record of working with high-profile teams and leagues across a variety of sports, including football, basketball, rugby, and American football.

The company's technology has been used by some of the most recognisable football clubs across Europe, including Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC and Sporting Lisbon. Kitman Labs also recently announced the launch and deployment of The Football Intelligence Platform across all Premier League Academies.

Stephen Smith, CEO and Founder of Kitman Labs, added: "We're thrilled to be working with Fulham FC – one of the most accomplished and storied football clubs in the English Premier League – helping to bring innovation to how medical and performance data and analytics are being leveraged across the entire organisation to inform strategy and decision-making with objective, analytics-based insights."



https://insidersport.com/2024/02/20/fulham-fc-extends-kitman-labs-partners/

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Fulham chief admits he is open to selling Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea target this summer
Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan admits Joao Palhinha – who has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea – could be sold this summer.

But Khan has warned interested clubs that they would have to make an offer for the highly-rated defensive midfielder that 'made sense for everyone'.

Ever since his £20million move to Craven Cottage in 2022, Palhinha has been considered one of the best players from outside the Premier League's traditional 'big-six'.

Last season, the 28-year-old completed the most tackles of any player in the top-flight, recording a whopping 48 more than next best Moises Caicedo, and he leads the stat again for this campaign.

His eye-catching performances have helped Fulham solidify their status in the Premier League and attracted attention from some of Europe's biggest sides, with the Portugal international coming very close to a move to Bayern Munich last summer.

That deal collapsed on deadline day after the Cottagers failed to find a replacement on time, with Palhinha going on to sign a new contract until 2028.

Bayern's interest has not waivered however, while Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea are also keen on his services and they may be in luck, with Khan now saying that he would be open to selling Palhinha for the right price, with the Cottagers reportedly holding out for £60m.

'Joao Palhinha is a phenomenal player and I think Joao's acclimation to the Premier League has shown that he is an amazing player,' the Fulham chief told talkSPORT.

'He's a huge part of the core of Fulham and we love having him here. I would want him as part of the team for as long as possible and we were very happy to extend his contract.

'But if an offer came along that would make sense for everyone I think that's something you have to consider with every player at the right time.

'We wanted to keep him and we have kept him, he's staying with us and there's a lot of demand for Palhinha. He was a great signing for us.

'I love working with Marco Silva and he's someone I work really closely with over transfers and building the squad. I talk to him on a regular basis about these things, we made a great signing with Joao and there's now a huge market, eyes have opened.

'But it's part of the business any time you sign a player potentially you know you're hopefully going to grow their value and that might mean people are going to come in. It's an exciting part of the industry, but certainly he as a person is central to our team and we love having him at Fulham.'

The Cottagers travel to Manchester United on Saturday but Palhinha won't be there as he'll miss the match through suspension after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season.



https://metro.co.uk/2024/02/20/fulham-chief-says-open-selling-liverpool-man-city-chelsea-target-20313717/?ito=newsnow-feed

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"You have to consider" – Manchester City handed golden opportunity to sign Kalvin Phillips replacement from Premier League club
Manchester City have been handed an opportunity to present a serious offer to one Premier League club over a player many would deem to be the ideal Kalvin Phillips replacement.

The England international brought an end to his largely disappointing time with the Premier League champions in the most recent January transfer window, joining West Ham on loan in an attempt to secure more consistent game time ahead of the European Championships.

However, following two mistakes leading to goals and now a red card during defeat to Nottingham Forest, Phillips' chances of returning to Manchester City in the summer for a second shot at success under Pep Guardiola look increasingly slim.

As such, Manchester City bosses are likely to explore the transfer window for options to replace the former Leeds United man, and may now have been presented an opportunity to sign one of the Premier League's finest defensive midfielders.

Speaking at length in an interview with talkSPORT this week, Fulham vice-chairmain Tony Khan has discussed growing interest in Joao Palhinha amid links to the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool, and Manchester City in recent months.

While Khan admits that Palhinha is a player both he and Fulham would obviously like to retain for the foreseeable future, there is a realisation within Craven Cottage that should a notable offer be presented, then they would have to entertain and perhaps even sell their star man.

"Joao Palhinha is a phenomenal player and I think Joao's acclimation to the Premier League has shown that he is an amazing player," Tony Khan explained. "He's a huge part of the core of Fulham and we love having him here.

"I would want him as part of the team for as long as possible and we were very happy to extend his contract, but if an offer came along that would make sense for everyone I think that's something you have to consider with every player at the right time.

"We wanted to keep him and we have kept him, he's staying with us and there's a lot of demand for Palhinha. He was a great signing for us. I love working with Marco Silva and he's someone I work really closely with over transfers and building the squad. I talk to him on a regular basis about these things, we made a great signing with Joao and there's now a huge market, eyes have opened."

Khan continued, "He's a great player for Fulham, we love having him and I want Joao to stay with us as long as possible. But it's part of the business any time you sign a player potentially you know you're hopefully going to grow their value and that might mean people are going to come in.

"It's an exciting part of the industry, but certainly he as a person is central to our team and we love having him at Fulham."

Whether or not Manchester City decide to turn any monitoring into concrete interest remains to be seen, however it is certain that Txiki Begiristain and his Etihad colleagues will face immense competition should they decide to enter any race this summer.

Other potential candidates for the defensive midfield role at Manchester City are few and far between, and Rodri's holding down of the role could present huge challenges for any player wishing to come into the club this summer.



https://cityxtra.co.uk/10233/you-have-to-consider-manchester-city-handed-golden-opportunity-to-sign-kalvin-phillips-replacement-from-premier-league-club/

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Two Premier League stars warned they will 'struggle' if they sign for Liverpool
Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James fears that Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo and Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly would 'struggle' if they were to join the Premier League leaders in the summer transfer window.

They say the grass is not always greener elsewhere. And while the Anfield turf may look rather luscious from afar, two of the division's most underrated central defenders could find their time on the grass rather limited on the red side of Stanley Park, restricted instead to a watching brief from the dugout.

That is the view of David James, the former England glovesman who spent seven years at Liverpool in the 1990s.

HITC Football understands that Liverpool, as well as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, have indicated that they are preparing offers for Bournemouth stopper Lloyd Kelly. He, like Tosin, is due to become a free-agent in the summer.

But while both players would be potentially excellent additions to the Reds roster, James wonders if either Kelly or Tosin would really benefit from a 'squad player' role reminiscent of the one, say, Kalvin Phillips found himself filling at Manchester City.

Liverpool like Lloyd Kelly and Tosin Adarabioyo
"Bournemouth had a very good run earlier on in the season and, because they were doing so well, you would have thought that some of their players could do well in a top team," James tells GG Recon. 

"However, I think the issue regarding Tosin Adarabioyo and Lloyd Kelly potentially coming in, is who are they going to replace in Liverpool's team?

"When it comes to getting game time at Liverpool, then I think that Tosin could get more time out of the pair of them because he's got plenty of experience. But, realistically, I think both of them would struggle."

Virgil van Dijk may be the wrong side of 30 these days but the Dutchman remains an imperious presence at the back. Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate, meanwhile, have been much improved in recent months, and youngster Jarell Quansah has enjoyed an excellent breakthrough campaign.

"I believe they would struggle for weekly appearances because of the strength that Liverpool have in their centre-back department," James adds. "You have Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and then you have players like Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah who could come in and fill the void when needed. 

No wonder Sepp van den Berg, on loan at Mainz, is thinking about cutting his ties with the Premier League leaders.

Reds boast serious defensive quality
"I'm not saying that either Tosin and Lloyd can't eventually be good enough. But I believe the difficulty for them will be that they will struggle to get the opportunities to prove that they can be good enough. That's the issue."

Kelly, who was the subject of a £20 million bid from Spurs on deadline day last summer, may find regular game-time hard to come by at either Tottenham or Newcastle too. The left-footed centre-half would be in direct competition for a starting spot with Micky van de Ven or Sven Botman, after all.

HITC, meanwhile, have been told that Liverpool are prioritising a left-footer, like Kelly, over a right-footer a la Tosin. David Hancko, Piero Hincapie and Chelsea's Levi Colwill are all options.



https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2024/02/20/two-premier-league-stars-warned-they-will-struggle-if-they-sign-for-liverpool/

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Fulham are open to selling Joao Palhinha this summer - but only for 'sensible' offers, confirms vice-chairman Tony Khan... amid links with Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City

    Fulham will listen to 'sensible' offers despite Tony Khan calling him 'essential'
    The midfielder almost left last year but a move to Bayern Munich fell through

Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan says the club would 'have to consider' sensible offers for Joao Palhinha but hopes the 'essential' midfielder will remain at Craven Cottage.

Palhinha, having looked on the verge of joining Bayern Munich last year, signed a contract extension in September tying him to Fulham until the summer of 2028, with a club option to extend for a further 12 months.

However, the influential Portugal international has remained the source of transfer speculation and has been linked to the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.

The defensive midfielder led the Premier League in tackles last campaign and is on course to repeat that feat this season, and Khan well aware top clubs are increasingly attuned to the 28-year-old's talent.

Khan told talkSPORT: 'He's a huge part of the core fold, and we love having him here and we want him part of the team as long as possible, we were very happy to extend his contract.

'If an offer came along and it made sense for everyone, I think that's something you have to consider with every player at the right time.

'We want to keep him and we have kept him. He's been staying with us and there's a lot of demand. There's now a huge market for Joao Palhinha. Now, eyes have opened.'

Palhinha first arrived at Fulham in July 2022, and netted four goals in his first Cottagers campaign alongside his impressive tackle tally, finishing the season with 48 more than runner-up Moises Caicedo.

A rumoured move to Bayern last summer reportedly fell apart on deadline day, with the Bundesliga side also said to have pursued him in the most recent January transfer window.

Khan reiterated his wish for the former Sporting Lisbon player to remain in west London 'as long as possible' before adding: 'But it's a thing in the business, it's part of the business, any time you sign a player you know you're going to grow your value, and that might mean people are going to hopefully come in.

'It's an exciting part of the industry but certainly Joao is essential to our team and we love having him at Fulham.'

His move to Bayern Munich fell apart on deadline day last year.

Bayern put in an initial offer of £47million, though this was subsequently rejected by the London club - who priced him at £90m initially.

The move fell through as the London club were unable to find a replacement in time - not helped by the German window closing earlier than the English one.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13105223/Fulham-Joao-Palhinha-Tony-Khan-Liverpool-Chelsea-Man-City.html

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Fulham in transfer tussle to sign Evan Ndicka

Fulham will compete with Serie A giants AC Milan and Juventus for 24-year-old AS Roma defender Evan Ndicka this summer.
According to a report by Italian outlet AS Roma Live, Evan Ndicka is the subject of interest from Fulham. The Cottagers are in the market for a centre-back heading into the summer transfer window. And they have set their sights on the 24-year-old AS Roma defender, who recently won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast.

The Evan Ndicka Tale
Evan Ndicka is a native of Paris and spent his formative years in France before graduating from the AJ Auxerre youth division. He represented France in age-group international football but has chosen to turn out for the Ivory Coast on the senior level due to the competition for places in Didier Deschamps's team.

Meanwhile, the 24-year-old rose in prominence during his half-decade-long stint with Eintracht Frankfurt. But his spell with the Bundesliga club ended last summer, with AS Roma snapping him up in a Bosman move. Ndicka has been decent at Stadio Olimpico thus far, turning out 20 times while providing one assist.

Ndicka was recently in the news as he helped the Ivory Coast win the Africa Cup of Nations at home. Meanwhile, the AFCON-winning defender has captured the attention of several well-known clubs across Europe, with Fulham among his prospective suitors.

Fulham Want Ndicka
Fulham's interest in Evan Ndicka is hardly unsurprising. The Cottagers are in the market for a centre-back amid uncertainties surrounding the future of Tosin Adarabioyo. The former Manchester City defender has entered the final six months of his contract and will likely leave Fulham as a free agent in the summer transfer window.

Several candidates have thus popped up on the West London club's radar, and they also attempted to sign Trevoh Chalobah last month. Ndicka has now emerged as a viable target for Fulham, who will face stiff competition from AC Milan and Juventus for the AS Roma centre-back.

The Giallorossi can make a pure profit from Ndicka's sale in the summer transfer window. But it is unclear if the Serie A giants are open to parting ways with the AFCON-winning defender. So, it will be interesting to see if Fulham can beat the competition to the signature of the 24-year-old centre-back.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2024/02/20/fulham-in-transfer-tussle-to-sign-evan-ndicka/

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Arsenal, Fulham, Newcastle monitor Atlético Mineiro's Alisson Santana
Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte has revealed that Arsenal, Fulham, and Newcastle United are monitoring the development of Atlético Mineiro's rising 18-year-old star, Alisson Santana.

His recent contract renewal, featuring a significant release clause, suggests the club is anticipating heightened interest from European teams.

Globo Esporte reports that Atlético Mineiro have tied Alisson Santana to a contract running until 2027. This new deal includes a substantial €60m release clause, indicating the club expects significant bids for the player in the future. It seems this protection is warranted, as Arsenal, Fulham, Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen, and PSV are all said to be "monitoring" the player.

Despite his limited senior appearances (only eight so far, with one goal), Santana has captured the imagination of scouts due to his remarkable performances in Atlético's youth ranks. At this point, there's no confirmation that Arsenal, Fulham, Newcastle, or any other interested parties have initiated formal transfer negotiations.

However, his first professional year will likely be closely observed to gauge his suitability for European football's top leagues.

Alisson Santana: From Brazil's youth leagues to European interest
At just 18 years old, Atlético Mineiro's attacking talent Alisson Santana is attracting serious attention from the European football elite. Let's take a closer look at his journey thus far.

A talent discovered
Santana's promise was evident from the start. Coach Adriano Martins, then a professional at Atlético-MG, spotted him during competitions in southern Brazil. Shortly after, Santana joined Atlético Mineiro, but the pandemic delayed his senior debut until 2021. That didn't stop him from shining; despite the challenging circumstances, he became the Minas Gerais under-17 champion that same year.

Prolific and persistent
In 2022, Santana cemented his place as a starter for the under-17 team and finished as Galo's top scorer in the Brasileirão with five goals. This impressive tally, combined with an additional 11 goals that year, made him the season's second-highest scorer. His breakout performance led to his first professional contract with Atlético Mineiro in September 2022.

Gaining ground
Although a move to Europe currently seems speculative, Santana's star continues to rise. He recently netted his first professional goal for Atlético-MG in the Campeonato Mineiro. Despite only recently breaking into the senior team, his talent and prolific youth record have drawn significant interest from across the Atlantic.

Humble beginnings
Santana's journey is all the more impressive considering his modest roots in Cachoeirinha, southern Brazil. His path, guided by coach Adriano Martins and driven by his own ambition, is a testament to hard work and determination.



https://dailycannon.com/2024/02/arsenal-monitor-alisson-santana/

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Fulham keen on Ndicka
Reports from Italy this morning have linked Fulham with a summer move for AS Roma centre back Evan Ndicka.

The Whites would face competition from Juventus and a number of continental sides to sign the 24 year-old who has shone in his first season with the Giallorossi and won the African Cup of Nations Cup with hosts Ivory Coast last month, when the tournament hosts beat Nigeria, featuring Fulham's Calvin Bassey and Alex Iowbi, in the final last month.

Ndicka is reportedly top of the Cottagers' summer wishlist as they begin to contemplate replacing Tosin Adarabioyo, whose Craven Cottage contract expires in June. Roma would be seeking a significant sum to part with one of Serie A's stellar defenders but Fulham are understood to have assured Marco Silva that he will receive substantial backing in the next transfer window.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/02/fulham-keen-on-ndicka/