Thursday Fulham Stuff - 14/03/24...

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Results

Wednesday 13/03
Bournemouth	4-3	Luton

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Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction at Fulham FC
Tottenham Hotspur are truly coming off a statement win, having routed fourth place Aston Villa 4-0 last weekend. Now they hope to ride that momentum into a win at Fulham FC, and then with that, more positive vibes into the March international break.

It won't be easy, as Fulham FC play hard in all London derbies.

Tottenham Hotspur at Fulham FC FYIs
Kickoff:  Sat. March 16 2024, 5:30 pm UK, Craven Cottage, London, UK

Result Probability:  Tottenham 46%   Draw `25%    Fulham FC 29%

PL Position, Form Guide:   Tottenham 5th, 53 pts WWLWD     Fulham FC 12th, 35 pts WWLWD

In looking at the lineup that Ange Postecoglu might go with here, Pape Matar Sarr is now probably match fit enough now/fully recovered from injury to go back into the starting lineup.

That means back to the bench for Rodrigo Betancur.

And with Micky van de Ven now injured, likely for a substantial amount of time, January transfer window signing Radu Dragusin is line for a lot of playing time. Other than that, the rest of the starting lineup kind of picks itself.

Tottenham Hotspur Starting XI Prediction at Fulham FC
Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Radu Dragusin, Destiny Udogie; Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma; Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski; Heung Min-Son



https://www.thesportsbank.net/football/tottenham/fulham-fc-xi/

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"Given a lot of hard press" - Pundit urges ex-Fulham boss to take Watford job
Carlton Palmer has urged Scott Parker to take the job as Watford manager, if he is offered it.

    If offered, Scott Parker should accept Watford manager job – a chance for redemption and success in challenging Championship division.
    Watford's rapid manager changes reflect pressure for immediate success - existing coaches need time, tools, and strategy.
    Parker excelled in Championship before, could thrive at Watford - but must deliver transformation for promotion contention.

EFL pundit and former England international Carlton Palmer believes Scott Parker should take the Watford managerial job if he is offered it.

The Hornets have continued their trend of sacking managers after a short period of time, relieving Valerien Ismael of his duties on Saturday evening after a run of just one win in their last 12 games across all competitions.

This has left them in 14th place, with hopes of a place in the top six looking slim.

The Frenchman started the season well at Vicarage Road after being appointed in May and had his contract extended in October.

But a run of poor results meant Watford's hierarchy lost patience, and will now be looking for a new manager. Former Watford midfielder Tom Cleverley has been installed as interim manager until the end of the season, to see them over the line.

One man who has been rumoured to replace Ismael in the summer is Scott Parker.

The former England midfielder has been out of work since being sacked by Belgian side Club Brugge after under three months in charge in March 2023.

He has previously managed in the Championship before at Fulham and Bournemouth, achieving promotion with both in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Palmer gives his verdict on Parker's potential appointment
"Scott Parker is being linked with the Watford job, Scott is currently out of work. Watford, four defeats in their last six games, languish in 14th in the Championship, 13 points off of a play-off place and are closer to the drop zone than they are the top.

"So unfortunately for Valerien Ismael, he has been relieved of his duties after their latest defeat to Coventry City. Given the policy that Watford have, he has been given longer than most, they even extended his contract after a bright start to the season, but, Watford have fallen away.

"Scott Parker has been given a lot of hard press, Scott has had two promotions from the Championship to the Premier League and maybe should have been given a longer spell at Bournemouth when he got them promoted. Although he did have talented squads, he still has actually done the business.

"They have installed Cleverley as interim manager, they are going to announce his backroom staff in the weeks coming up, so it looks like they are going to run with Cleverley. It makes sense because there is not long to go until the end of the season, so it gives them time to make sure they get the right manager.

"People will always be wary about the Watford job because of the way that they just get rid of managers but when you've been out of work for a while, and you get the opportunity to jump back in, like Scott Parker, if you were given this opportunity, you would jump on it.

"It's one of those, he's proven he can get sides promoted from the league if you've got a talented squad. He's available on a free so you haven't got to pay compensation.

"But Watford I reckon you have to look at their policy, why their managers aren't succeeding, have they got the tools of the trade, are you giving them the time, and sit down and come up with a better strategy going forward."

Another opportunity for Parker to show his worth
Palmer is right. If you are Parker, it is an opportunity to get back into management at a good level, and in a division where you have had a lot of success in recent times.

But as always, with Watford, immediate success is a must. If that is not fulfilled, the hierarchy has shown they are willing to get rid if their standards are not met.

If you do come into Watford, and turn a team that is underperforming into promotion contenders next season, then you should receive massive credit.

For Parker, it is a massive opportunity to get back in and prove the doubters wrong after a poor end at Bournemouth and an unsuccessful spell in Belgium.



https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/pundit-urges-scott-parker-to-take-watford-job/

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Chelsea will earn £4m if their loanee doesn't start his next game
Reports have claimed that Chelsea are set to earn a substantial amount of money if one of their loanees does not start his next game.

According to the Daily Mail, the Blues are going to receive a payment from Fulham if loanee Armando Broja doesn't start his next game for the club.

Broja was the big mover out of Chelsea in January as a quiet transfer window finally had some action in the final hours.

It was believed the Blues were hoping for a permanent fee for the striker, however their attention quickly switched to getting the best package possible by loaning him out.

The idea of the move across West London is likely two things. Get the young forward into a great run of form with regular appearances, so they can make the choice to either sell him or bed him in next season.

Unfortunately though, he has found any sort of minutes difficult to come by at Craven Cottage, and only picked up his first goal involvement at all at the weekend in their loss to Wolves.

Chelsea close to recieving £4m for Broja
There was a reported clause in his contract that saw him have to play a certain amount of minutes for his loan club, or the Blues would receive a fee.

It has now been claimed that this has worked out as having to start every single game from now for Fulham to avoid it.

Perhaps even more annoyingly for Broja, another loanee in the same position as him is currently outshining him at a far poorer team.

David Datro Fofana scored a stunning goal at the weekend for Burnley, making it a very impressive three goals and an assist already for them.

Chelsea supporters will actually be glad that he is not available to face his parent club when the Blues welcome Burnley to Stamford Bridge in their next Premier League game.



https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/news/chelsea-will-earn-4m-if-their-loanee-doesnt-start-his-next-game/

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Tottenham Hotspur team news: Injury, suspension list vs. Fulham
Now officially in control of their top-four destiny, Tottenham Hotspur make the short trip to Craven Cottage to meet Fulham in their final Premier League fixture before the international break.

The Lilywhites blew the race for Champions League football wide open with a 4-0 thrashing of Aston Villa at the weekend, where Son Heung-min, Timo Werner, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison made the net bulge.

Ange Postecoglou's men still reside in fifth place in the table, but they now only have a two-point gap to make up to the Lions, who have played a game more.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of the clash with Fulham, who fell to a 2-1 loss versus Wolverhampton Wanderers in gameweek 28.

Micky van de Ven
Status: Out
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: March 30 (vs. Luton Town)

Early into the second half of the win over Villa, Dutch defender Micky van de Ven succumbed to a knee injury and had to be replaced by Radu Dragusin. The seriousness of his issue has not been disclosed, and while he is expected to miss Saturday's game, there is reportedly hope that he will return following the international break.

Richarlison
Status: Out
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: Unknown

Despite telling Brazilian media that he was on track to return from his own knee issue at Villa Park, Richarlison's comments were premature, and the attacker is not expected to recover in time for the derby with Fulham either.

Fraser Forster
Status: Out
Type of injury: Foot
Possible return date: Unknown

Second-choice goalkeeper Fraser Forster sustained a fracture in his foot last month, and the England international is unlikely to be back to full fitness until the latter stages of April.

Manor Solomon
Status: Out
Type of injury: Knee
Possible return date: Unknown

Israeli winger Manor Solomon is on the mend from a second knee operation, and no timeframe has been placed on his recovery, but he should be back on the field in the not-so-distant future.

Ryan Sessegnon
Status: Out
Type of injury: Hamstring
Possible return date: Unknown

In contrast, the hapless Ryan Sessegnon is expected to miss the remainder of the season owing to the hamstring injury he sustained on Under-21s duty in February, which required an operation.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S SUSPENSION LIST
Tottenham have no players suspended for this match.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/spurs/top-four-race/injuries-and-suspensions/tottenham-injury-suspension-list-vs-fulham_538816.html?newsnow

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Fulham offer Tosin 'bumper new deal'
Teamtalk are reporting that Fulham have offered centre back Tosin Adarabioyo 'a bid new deal' in a bid to keep him at Craven Cottage beyond this summer.

The 26 year-old has rejected two previous offers from the Whites but Fulham sources and those close to the defender have both emphasised how attractive the proposal resulting from a new round of talks that commenced last month is – and it could result in the former Manchester City man committing his future to the Cottagers. Adarabioyo regards his strong relationship with Marco Silva and his return to Fulham's starting eleven after injury as just as important as the financial package and Fulham believe they can keep hold of the ball-playing centre half.

Adarabioyo has made 113 first-team appearances for Fulham, scoring four goals, since joining the club in October 2020 for a fee that eventually rose to £2m. He has been heavily linked with a move away from the Cottage over the past year with interest from Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Liverpool, AS Monaco and AC Milan particularly prominent in the papers.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/03/fulham-offer-tosin-bumper-new-deal/

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'Pittance' – Player's Fulham move really hasn't worked out, last appearance a month ago
Signed at the very back end of the summer transfer window on loan until the end of the season, Fodé Ballo-Touré's move to Fulham just hasn't worked out.

The Senegal international was meant to provide competition on the left hand side of the defence, but he hasn't convinced Marco Silva, as shown by the Portuguese manager's reluctance to use him even sporadically.

This is something Milan News looked at on Tuesday evening and point out how much the defender has struggled at Fulham.

So far, he has played what is considered a 'pittance' of seven appearances in all competitions, with only two of those seeing him come as a starter.

Those came in the EFL Cup against Norwich and Ipswich, with the rest coming in the Premier League, totalling 53 minutes of top tier football over five games.

Milan News point out his last appearance for Fulham in the league was 'a month ago', and he wasn't even called up against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last game.

A terrible deal for both the Craven Cottage side and the player, with AC Milan now fully expecting to welcome him back and having to find him a new club for next season.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/pittance-players-fulham-move-really-hasnt-worked-last-appearance-month-ago/

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Arsenal tell Eddie Nketiah he is free to leave amid Crystal Palace, Fulham links

Arsenal are ready to sell their academy graduate Eddie Nketiah amidst interest from Crystal Palace and Fulham.
According to a report by TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace and Fulham are both keen on having Eddie Nketiah in their ranks ahead of next season. The 24-year-old England international has had limited game time at Arsenal, and they are now ready to sanction his departure.

Eddie Nketiah's time at Arsenal
Nketiah made it to the Arsenal first team in the winter of 2019. He has been a regular feature in their first team since returning from his short loan stint at Leeds United in the initial years.

The 24-year-old has shown great promise over the last two seasons. In the 2022/23 season, he was involved in 12 goals in less than 1,900 minutes of first-team football spread across 39 matches. Despite putting in quite a few impressive performances, his game time has not gone up.

In the ongoing campaign, he has 11 goal contributions in under 1,400 minutes of first-team football. Nketiah's impressive performances might not have helped him gain minutes at Arsenal. But it has resulted in a lot of interest from clubs across England.

The Gunners are currently fighting for the Premier League title. While their major focus is on the title race, they have started planning for the summer. Their priority is to add a new world-class striker to their ranks. Brentford's Ivan Toney is one of the players they have been linked with.

Fulham, Crystal Palace keen on Eddie Nketiah
In order to bring in a top striker, the Gunners are ready to sanction the sale of Eddie Nketiah amidst interest in him from Fulham and Crystal Palace. The North London club were ready to sell him this past winter, but a suitable deal never arrived.

However, that could change in the summer, with the Eagles and Cottagers keen on having him in their ranks. Fulham are looking to sign a quality forward ahead of next season. They have not been able to replace Aleksandar Mitrovic and are looking at Nketiah as someone who can help fill those big boots.

In Crystal Palace's case, their attack has not been good enough since the departure of Wilfried Zaha. They want more firepower and feel the Arsenal graduate could do wonders for them. They even had an enquiry turned down in the winter.

Nketiah will surely be a great addition to either club's squad and since the player prefers staying in London, both have an advantage. The Eagles have done the most work on a potential deal at this stage, but the Cottagers will surely make their presence felt. Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how much the Gunners are looking to make from this deal.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2024/03/13/arsenal-tell-eddie-nketiah-he-is-free-to-leave-amid-crystal-palace-fulham-links/

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Good news for Fulham as club have 'moved away' from player – Focus now elsewhere
Fulham may have been handed a major boost ahead of the summer transfer window, as Bayern Munich have 'moved away' from Joao Palhinha.

That's according to SportBILD, who say those in charge at Bayern have turned their attention elsewhere following the drama of the last year.

The newspaper explains that while Bayern are still searching for a specialist defensive midfielder, a number six, for their squad, Palhinha is unlikely to be the one they now target.

He had been the main focus last summer and was on the verge of being signed before the infamous incident which saw Fulham pull out of the deal at the last minute after they had failed to find a replacement on deadline day.

The belief had been that Bayern would return at some point but that never happened in January and it is unlikely to be the case in the summer.

SportBILD say the club's new sporting directors have 'initially moved away' from Palhinha and are now instead focusing their efforts on Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi.

That's good news for Fulham, who may be able to already tick off one major name potentially coming for their star man at the end of the season.



http://sportwitness.co.uk/good-news-fulham-club-moved-away-player-focus-now-elsewhere/

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Harris hits first senior goal
Fulham starlet Luke Harris scored his first senior goal as Exeter City eased to a comfortable 3-0 win at Shrewsbury Town in League One last night.

The Welsh attacking midfielder has enjoyed an excellent loan spell at St. James' Park so far but had not managed to get on the scoresheet for the Grecians until Gary Caldwell's side overwhelmed the Shrews, who were reduced to ten men after only five minutes. After Will Aimson had audaciously flicked in a corner, Harris doubled Exeter's lead by following up clinically after his own initial shot had been parried by home goalkeeper Marko Marosi.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/03/harris-hits-first-senior-goal/

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Ange Postecoglou delivers Micky van de Ven update ahead of Fulham
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has provided an injury update on Micky van de Ven.

The Dutch international picked up another hamstring issue during Tottenham's 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, a result which helped them close the gap on their fourth-placed opponents to just two points with a game in hand.

Van de Ven started the match alongside Cristian Romero and was arguably Tottenham's best performer in the first half, comfortably dealing with the threat of Ollie Watkins and showcased his speed on more than one occasion.

Frustratingly, 22-year-old pulled up just minutes into the second half at Villa Park and after receiving treatment on the pitch, had to be replaced by January arrival Radu Radu Dragusin.

Ange Postecoglou optimistic on Micky van de Ven's hamstring injury
Postecoglou was asked by Sky Sports News at the club's Hotspur Way training ground earlier today for an update on the former Wolfsburg player and admitted that it will be unlikely that he would be fit to face Fulham on Saturday.

Postecoglou said: "We are still kinda getting all the information. Look, he is unlikely for this weekend but I don't think it is anything major.

"We'll probably get some more information at the back end of the week, so unlikely for obviously Fulham but obviously with the international break, hopefully it means he doesn't mean much after that."

SpursWeb Opinion
This is a huge boost for Spurs if van de Ven is out for a matter of weeks, rather than months on the sidelines as witnessed after his injury during the loss to Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

With Luton the first fixture after the international break, Spurs can afford to give him another week of recovery at least ahead of what is a hectic run of fixtures starting mid-April with Newcastle, Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.



https://www.spurs-web.com/spurs-news/ange-postecoglou-delivers-micky-van-de-ven-update-ahead-of-fulham/

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Wilson in Welsh play-off squad
Fulham winger Harry Wilson has been named in the Welsh squad for their crucial European Championship qualification play-off next month.

Rob Page's side play Finland at the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday 21 March – and, if they triumph, will progress to a final against Poland or Estonia in the Welsh capital, for the right to reach the summer tournament in Germany.

Page has named a 28-man squad, which is as follows:

Wales squad: Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest), Danny Ward (Leicester City), Tom King (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Adam Davies (Sheffield United); Ben Davies (Tottenham Hotspur), Joe Rodon (Leeds United, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur), Joe Low (Wycombe Wanderers), Chris Mepham (Bournemouth), Ben Cabango (Swansea City), Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest), Jay DaSilva (Coventry City), Connor Roberts (Leeds United, on loan from Burnley), Wes Burns (Ipswich Town); Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United), Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers), Dylan Levitt (Hibernian), Jordan James (Birmingham City), Charlie Savage (Reading); Harry Wilson (Fulham), Nathan Broadhead (Ipswich Town), Aaron Ramsey (Cardiff City), Rabbi Matondo (Rangers), David Brooks (Southampton, on loan from Bournemouth), Daniel James (Leeds United), Liam Cullen (Swansea City), Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City), Brennan Johnson (Tottenham Hotspur), Kieffer Moore (Ipswich Town, on loan from Bournemouth).



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/03/wilson-in-welsh-play-off-squad/

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Fulham eyeing Lewis Ferguson swoop

Fulham have reportedly been linked with a summer move for 24-year-old Scottish midfielder Lewis Ferguson.
A report from Calciomercato has claimed that Fulham are keen on signing the 24-year-old midfielder Lewis Ferguson, who has done quite well for Serie A club Bologna this season.

The Scottish midfielder has six goals and five assists across all competitions, and he could prove to be a quality acquisition for the West London club. Fulham have looked quite vulnerable going forward, and they need more quality in the final third.

The Cottagers need to bring in a player who can create goalscoring opportunities and find the back of the net as well. Ferguson can operate as the central attacking midfielder, and he will help create opportunities for his teammates.

He plays a similar role to that of Andreas Pereira, and it will be interesting to see if Marco Silva decides to replace the former Manchester United midfielder. While Pereira has done reasonably well since moving to the London club, his end product has been quite underwhelming.

It remains to be seen whether Fulham come forward with a concrete proposal to sign the Scottish midfielder in the summer. Bologna will not want to lose a key player for cheap. So, they have slapped a €20 million price tag on him.

Lewis Ferguson could fancy Fulham transfer
The opportunity to play in England could be an attractive proposition for the Scottish midfielder, and a move to Fulham will be an exciting opportunity for him. The West London club have played impressive football this season. But they have not been able to grind out the results because of the lack of quality going forward.

Signing a quality playmaker and a reliable finisher should be a top priority for Fulham at the end of the season. It will be interesting to see if they can get the necessary reinforcements in the summer and push for a top half finish next season. The Cottagers have also shown interest in other midfielders, including Callum O'Hare.

Meanwhile, Ferguson is entering the peak of his career and opportunity to test himself against the best players in the Premier League can be hard to turn down. It remains to be seen how the situation develops over the next few months.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2024/03/13/fulham-eyeing-lewis-ferguson-swoop/

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Andover New Street U18 girls team defeat Fulham U18s
Andover New Street U18 girls 1
Fulham U18 girls 0

 ANDOVER New Street Youth U18 girls' team defeated Fulham FC U18 girls' team in the Junior Premier League Warriors last Saturday, March 9.

The win came under the guidance of coaches Nic Turpin, Kevin Riley, and Chelsea legend Petr Cech, whose daughter Adela Cechova featured in the Andover defence.

The Andover New Street attackers Charli Wright, Freya Twigg, Immie Jones and Poppy Wannell were all on it from the first whistle, executing a high-pressure strategy, with relentless running.

The Andover side, sponsored by The Larkhill Space Station and All Aces Couriers, immediately put Fulham on the back foot.

 The match was a display of high-quality football, with both teams launching well-coordinated attacks.

Andover looked comfortable with Amelia Riley and Chloe Sheffield controlling the game in the centre of the park.

 Andover's defence featuring Casey Foster,  Lottie Spottiswood, Adela Cechova and Leah Strange were a solid back four, dealing comfortably with most of the Fulham attacks.

The New Street keeper Izzy Angell was on hand when needed and was particularly outstanding, making crucial saves to keep the score line even.

The first half concluded with neither team able to break the deadlock, the score remaining at 0-0.

The Andover New Street Girls wearing their traditional green and black stripes started the second half with same intensity as the first, with the introduction of Bella Turpin, Maisy Aldridge, Victoria Vlachou and Summer Pike.

 With three minutes left of the game, the hard work, togetherness and the never-give-up attitude of the squad was rewarded.

Great pressure from the midfield and having won possession back, the ball fell to player of the match Leah Strange, and with a pinpointed left-footed cross found the impressive Poppy Wannell to head home to give and Andover New Street Girls a well-deserved lead.

Elly- Mai Lacey, who had a welcome return to the squad after a long injury, was introduced to the back line late on, to ensure all three points went to Andover New Street Girls.



https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/sport/24178948.andover-new-street-u18-girls-team-defeat-fulham-u18s/

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Andreas Pereira shares how Marco Silva convinced him to quit Manchester United for £10m Fulham transfer
Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira has shared how Marco Silva convinced him to leave Manchester United for Craven Cottage.

Fulham wanted big addition after securing promotion back to the Premier League in 2022.

Marco Silva dropped into the Championship to manage Fulham, so he certainly needed some backing after guiding the club back to the top flight.

Fulham delivered, landing the likes of Bernd Leno, Joao Palhinha and Andreas Pereira to help comfortably achieve survival.

Pereira has gone from being a forgotten man at Manchester United to one of Silva's go-to players at Fulham – and the midfielder has now reflected on his move.

Andreas Pereira on Fulham move
Speaking to Fulham Fix, Pereira noted that Silva was absolutely crucial to his decision to join Fulham.

Pereira had spent the 2021-22 season on loan at Flamengo and was tempted to complete a permanent move back to Brazil.

Whilst born in Belgium, Pereira is a Brazil international and heading there permanently was seemingly appealing.

Fulham changed his mind though as Silva tapped into something Pereira was thinking deep down – that he wanted to prove himself in the Premier League.

Pereira only played 45 Premier League games for United and Silva seemingly knew that Pereira still wanted to prove himself.

Silva talked Pereira into the move, believing that would be able to show everybody just how good he really is.

"When the manager called, I still had that in myself, that I wanted to show people that I can play in the Premier League, that I can play at the highest level."

"When the boss called me, he said 'I know you have the quality to play in the Premier League and I want you to show it and I want to give you the chance to do it', so when he said that, it was like a challenge for me. I spoke about it with my father and I said 'I think I want to go back, I want to prove the people wrong, I'm a top player, I want to play in a top league', so that's what made me come to Fulham," said Pereira.

Fulham struck a deal worth around £10million to sign Pereira and that deal now looks like a pretty incredible bargain.

Pereira is back in Brazil contention and has proven himself as a creative force in this Fulham side.

We can only imagine that Pereira is so relieved that he picked Fulham over a move to Brazil, and Silva is the man to think for making the move a reality.



https://www.fulham.news/2024/03/13/andreas-pereira-shares-how-marco-silva-convinced-him-to-quit-manchester-united-for-10m-fulham-transfer/

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The £17m bargain midfielder who can thrive at Fulham, Forest or Wolves - if they can win transfer battle
A Scottish midfielder making waves in Italy has attracted Premier League attention - we look at what he offers his suitors.

Lewis Ferguson's rise has been rapid, but it has mostly happened away from the eyes of the British public – but now the Scotland international's form at Bologna has caught the eye of a wide range of clubs, which is reported to include Premier League outfits like Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers. They aren't alone in their interest, however, and the 24-year-old midfielder is set to be at the heart of a substantial transfer tussle this summer.

According to Sky Sports, Napoli and Juventus are among the Italian clubs keen on signing Ferguson – the son of former Scotland striker Derek and nephew of Rangers and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Barry – after he consistently impressive performances in Bologna over the last two seasons which have seen him bag 13 goals and be elevated to the club captaincy. The chances of him remaining in Emilia-Romagna next season seem slim. But what kind of player is he, and what can he offers his long list of suitors?

Ferguson was released from the Rangers academy at the age of 14 but has made the Glaswegian giant rue that decision ever since. After finishing his academy development at Hamilton Academical, he moved to Aberdeen and established himself as a regular in the Scottish Premier League from the age of 19, eventually earning a move to Italy reported to be worth up to £3m. It looks like quite the bargain at this point.

Ferguson is nominally an attacking midfielder and team sheets typically present him as a number ten, but his role under manager Thiago Motta is much more fluid than that. In possession, he often drifts wide and cuts back in near the box, effectively playing as an inside forward, while off the ball he uses his impressive stamina and endless willingness to chase lost causes to get back into deeper areas and operate as a defensive midfield shield.

In other words, he pops up just about everywhere, can operate in a wide variety of roles according to his side's needs, and his heat maps show red blots all of the field of play. He's a genuine do-it-all midfielder and has the endurance to keep it up for the full 90 minutes, even though he doesn't have top-tier speed.

He's also an extremely intelligent player and his off-the-ball movement is superb. He's brilliant at finding half-spaces to collect passes and seems to know precisely when to go wide and when to drop back into the middle to offer the best passing option – and his versatility, quality and approach have clearly impressed former Barcelona and Inter Milan midfielder Motta.

"He knows what positions to take up. He's not selfish," Motta told the media. "He scores and gets into the box. He's very disciplined in the defensive side of the game. He's always looking at what his team-mates are doing and adapting. He's exemplary."

High praise from a man who was a first-rate midfielder in his own right in his playing days, and praise which seems justified. In attack, he offers accurate, quick, vertical passes and generates a healthy number of chances, as well as good movement to create space, and he's a goalscorer too – he bagged 20 SPL goals in his last two seasons at Aberdeen as well as the 13 he's managed in the better part of two years in Serie A, already making him the most prolific Scotsman ever to play in the Italian top flight, surpassing Denis Law.

A lot of those goals come from cutting inside and working room, but he has a dangerous long shot on him too – as rather neatly summed up by this brilliant strike which gave Bologna a 2-1 away win at Atalanta earlier in the season:

He's also struck up an excellent understanding with former Bayern Munich striker Joshua Zirkzee, another player linked heavily with a Premier League move in the summer, and works extremely well getting close to the Dutchman and playing quick interchanges while they draw defenders away from each other. Any club signing him should be looking to pair him up with a deeper-lying forward of some kind in the same way to get the most out of him.

He's more than an attacking midfielder, however, and his defensive work isn't just hard yards and bluster – he generates just under five turnovers per game on average in Italy with solid numbers for tackles, interceptions and clearances from his own box.

So there are few weaknesses to his game other than a relative lack of top-end speed. His ball-carrying skills aren't the best, either, and his technique and control aren't up there with the best, but he's smart enough to know to avoid taking his man on one-on-one too often, and he usually looks to pass rather than dribble. He covers his few deficits well.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, who recently published a report specifically linking him with Fulham and Forest (the links to Wolves and Brentford come from different Italian outlets) it would take €20m (£17m) to sign him, although the sheer volume of interest may well drive that price up. Ferguson has three more years on his current £12,000 per week contract, so Bologna are scarcely over a barrel and have time and space to play hardball with the fee.

But Ferguson is coming into his prime in impressive fashion and looks like the kind of dynamic, aggressive and hard-working midfielder that a lot of Premier League clubs would prize – and that's why some of Italy's biggest teams are interested as well. Whether he would prefer to remain in Italy or head back to the Anglosphere is unknown, but he will have plenty of options. An apparent love for tortellini, which cropped up in an in-depth interview with The Athletic, may play a part.

Other comments in that interview tell us more about the man, however, and in particular his attitude towards his role as a player: "I'm a fit boy. I like to get around the park. In modern football, if you don't run, you don't win."

"[Motta] really helped me kick on and become a better player," he added. "We're really fluid. Everyone's always moving, trying to shift the opponents, make space for ourselves and get as high up the pitch as possible... If you want to improve as a footballer, you need to come out of your comfort zone."

He may have another chance to come out of his comfort zone with a move this summer – and whoever signs him will get an intelligent, eloquent and determined player who knows how to get the best out of his game.



https://www.3addedminutes.com/sport/football/fulham/ps17m-bargain-midfielder-who-thrive-fulham-forest-wolves-win-transfer-battle-4553676

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Wilson wants 'to bounce back' against Spurs
Fulham winger Harry Wilson is looking forward to Saturday's London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at Craven Cottage – believing the televised contest presents a good opportunity 'to bounce back' from the disappointment of defeat at Wolves.

The Welsh international admitted he should have scored in the first half at Molineux and that Marco Silva's side could easily have been out of sight by half time. Speaking to FFCTV, Wilson said:

"Looking back, the first half especially, we had more than enough chances to win that game. I didn't realise how good their keeper's save from AP was early on in the game and then I had my one-on-one which I should score and Tosin hits the bar a couple of minutes after, so I think we should take at least two of those chances and go in 2-0 up and it would have been a different game. We don't do that and then we concede off a set-piece that we should defend better. After that, it was difficult to recover. We're really disappointed with how the game finished but Saturday's game is a good chance to bounce back.

We're in a good moment at the minute – with a couple more wins, we could have been in the race for the European places. I feel like I started the season well without really contributing with my numbers, which was something I was disappointed with. The last couple of weeks I feel like my performances have been good, but ultimately as an attacking player, you get judged on your numbers. Between now and the end of the season – I think there's ten games left – that's something I'd like to improve upon."

Wilson feels that Fulham can head into the meeting with Ange Postecoglou's men in good heart.

"We've played them twice, once in the Carabao Cup early on and in the league. In the league game away, especially, we saw what a good team they are. They are off the back of a 4-0 win away at Villa – which not many people do now – so we know they'll be in a confident mood. We also know when we're at the Cottage and we're playing well, we're a difficult team to play and we'll be making sure that we perform well to get the three points."

I think with it being a London derby, I feel like that always means more to the fans, who might have family members or friends who are Spurs fans. For us as players, it's another game that we want to win.



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/03/wilson-wants-to-bounce-back-against-spurs/

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Ream and Robinson named in USA squad
Fulham defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson have been named in Gregg Berhalter's 23-man United States squad for the conclusion of the CONCACAF Nations' League next month.

The States take on Bobby De Cordova-Reid's Jamaica in the semi-final in Texas on Thursday 21 March and will be hoping to reach the final, which will take place in the early hours of Monday 25 March UK time.

UNITED STATES SQUAD:

GOALKEEPERS: Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City), Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest).

DEFENDERS: Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Kristoffer Lund (Palermo), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Tim Ream (Fulham), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), 19-Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach).

MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest).

FORWARDS: Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Juventus)



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2024/03/ream-and-robinson-named-in-usa-squad-2/

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Fulham think 22-year-old's value has just risen by £20m as Chelsea left frustrated
Fulham believe that striker Rodrigo Muniz has seriously boosted his market value after his superb run of recent form.

Fulham left it late to bring in a new striker during the January transfer window.

Armando Broja arrived on loan from Chelsea in a move which seemed pretty exciting given his reputation as a top young striker at Stamford Bridge.

We haven't really seen all that much of Broja just yet though and the Daily Mail now claim that Fulham will have to pay around £4million if Broja doesn't now start every game until the summer.

Chelsea are being left frustrated as they thought Broja would shine and put himself in the shop window for a big summer move, but that isn't happening.

The reason for Broja's lack of action is the rise of Rodrigo Muniz, who has exploded out of nowhere and become a real sensation...

Rodrigo Muniz value rising
Fulham may well have to cough up some cash to Chelsea because Broja isn't playing, but few will really care whilst Muniz is playing like this.

The Brazilian was largely an afterthought when it came to discussing potential replacements for Aleksandar Mitrovic last summer.

Muniz finally scored his first Premier League goal on the 3rd of February, bagging in a 2-2 draw at Fulham.

We have now seen Muniz become an absolute menace, smashing five goals and one assist in his last six games.

The 22-year-old is causing mayhem and the Mail's report suggests that people inside Fulham now think that his value has risen massively.

It's suggested that people at Craven Cottage now believe that Muniz's value has increased by around £20million as he starts to really shine in the Premier League.

It's unclear just how much Fulham would have taken for Muniz before, but he cost around £6.8million back in 2021.

Fulham may now be looking at around £30million for Muniz and that value will only keep rising if he continues to score in the Premier League.

Chelsea may not be best pleased with Broja's lack of action but Muniz is just too good to ignore right now and Fulham are right to focus on the development of a permanent player over a loanee – even if it comes at some immediate financial cost.



https://www.fulham.news/2024/03/13/fulham-think-22-year-olds-value-has-just-risen-by-20m-as-chelsea-left-frustrated/

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Manchester United, Fulham, West Ham United eyeing Timo Werner move

Manchester United, Fulham and West Ham United are all interested in acquiring the services of 28-year-old German forward Timo Werner.
According to a report by Fichajes, Timo Werner could find another home in England as Manchester United, Fulham and West Ham United are all keen on having the 28-year-old striker in their ranks. All three Premier League clubs want to bolster their attack in the summer and the German international is one of the names on their list.

Another chance to shine in England for Wener
Werner is currently on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from RB Leipzig. He has featured in eight matches for the North London club and has contributed towards four goals. Despite a good start to his loan move, the former Chelsea star isn't really a prominent figure in their team.

He is expected to return to his parent club in the summer. While his deal with the German club runs until the summer of 2026, they are ready to sanction his departure if the right offer arrives.

Despite having had a terrible spell at Chelsea back in the day, the loan move to Spurs gave him a lifeline to revive his career in England and it seems clubs are ready to hand him another opportunity to establish himself in the English top flight.

English trio keen on Timo Werner's signatures
Fulham and West Ham United have been linked with the German striker of late and Manchester United have also entered the race. Rasmus Hojlund might not have got off to a flying start but he has started to deliver.

Despite that, they are looking for another striker who can support him and the Red Devils feel Werner could offer them a lot centrally as well as out wide on the flanks.

With Leipzig looking to cash in, United will look to make the best of the situation but they will have to battle it out with the Cottagers as well as the Hammers.

Fulham are looking for a new forward as they haven't been able to replace Aleksandar Mitrović who left the club last summer. Meanwhile, the Hammers are looking to bring a younger forward ahead of next season. Both Michail Antonio and Danny Ings are over 30 and they do need someone who can eventually lead the line.



https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2024/03/14/manchester-united-fulham-west-ham-united-eyeing-timo-werner-move/