Saturday Fulham Stuff - 05/04/24...

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Leeds United: Fulham update emerges in Kalvin Phillips summer transfer race at Elland Road
Fulham have joined Leeds United in the race to sign Kalvin Phillips during the summer transfer window, according to FootballTransfers.

The outlet reported on its website on Saturday (6 April) that Marco Silva's side are lining up three summer transfers at Craven Cottage, with Manchester City midfielder Phillips one player that has caught their eye.

Daniel Farke's Whites are still interested in signing the England international this summer, but any potential deal will hinge on whether Leeds win promotion back to the Premier League and whether they have funds available in the transfer window.

Phillips has enjoyed a miserable spell on loan with West Ham United in the second half of the season and the Hammers have already indicated to City that they will be sending the midfielder back to the Etihad this summer.

Will Leeds United win the transfer race for Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips?
It was never going to be easy for Leeds United to secure the signature of Phillips this summer. While the Whites will almost certainly be interested in the midfielder, they won't be the only Premier League side considering a transfer.

While the 28-year-old's time at the London Stadium has been a disaster from start to finish, he has shown with Leeds and England in the past that he is more than capable of being a consistent performer at the highest level.

For Farke and the Whites, the entirety of their focus has to be on the remainder of the Championship season and booking their place in the Premier League next season, before they can even begin planning Phillips' return.

If and when Leeds win promotion, then they will be able to consider acting on their interest, but they can't get too far ahead of themselves. You would imagine a return to Elland Road would be more appealing than a switch to Craven Cottage.



https://motleedsnews.com/transfers/leeds-united-fulham-update-emerges-in-kalvin-phillips-summer-transfer-race-at-elland-road/

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EXCLUSIVE: Fulham target Phillips and Arsenal wonderkid in triple summer raid
Fulham are already lining up three summer transfers, FootballTransfers has been told by sources close to the club.

Among the players that the Craven Cottage outfit are looking at are Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Arsenal's Charlie Patino and Coventry's Callum O'Hare.

With Joao Palhinha liable to be courted by some of Europe's biggest teams in the summer, Fulham are looking at a string of different possibilities in that area of the park.

A marquee player is expected to arrive, with England international Phillips potentially filling that role.

A €50 million transfer to Manchester City in the summer of 2022 has not gone as the former Leeds star would have wished, while a January loan move to West Ham United has failed to reinvigorate the 28-year-old's career. David Moyes' side have already indicated that they will send Phillips back to the Etihad in the summer.

Interest remains from Leeds, yet a deal will hinge on both the Elland Road outfit winning promotion back to the Premier League and finding sufficient funds to land him.

Fulham, meanwhile, are working on the possibility of signing him.

Fulham target Patino
Similarly, Marco Silva's side are seeking to breathe new life into the career of Patino, despite the 20-year-old enduring a lacklustre loan spell in the Championship with Swansea.

Mikel Arteta retains the belief that Patino, who has long been tipped for the top, has the capacity to succeed in the Premier League sooner rather than later, and it appears that Fulham share that perspective.

The final name that Fulham are chasing is 25-year-old Coventry midfielder O'Hare.

The Cottagers have already spoken to the Championship side a couple of times with regards the possibility of a deal.

O'Hare, meanwhile, is a free agent at the end of the season, having refused to sign a new deal with Coventry.

His departure is considered as a more damaging one than last summer's departure of Viktor Gyokeres by the Sky Blues, who are frustrated at the prospect of losing one of their best players for free after standing by him through a serious injury.

Palhinha may well be on his way, but Fulham are well prepared.



https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/tag/exclusive-newsnow/fulham-transfer-news-kalvin-phillips-and-arsenal-wonderkid-lined-up-as-joao-palhinha-replacements

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Player Manchester United sold for just £10m is now a target for Spanish giants
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, just three days after Erik ten Hag's Manchester United crumbled at the Etihad, attempted to explain why his Red Devils outfit boasted such a formidable track record against Pep Guardiola's side.

Solskjaer's team got the better of Guardiola's on no fewer than four occasions. They even triumphed three times away from home against the perennial Premier League champions.

And, speaking to The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast, the legendary Norwegian insists that there was no magic formula behind Manchester United's success. Just pace, work-rate, and a willingness to gallop into the wide open spaces in behind City's backline.

"There were players whose main strength was counter-attacking, running and digging in," Solskjaer said.

"In previous years, you had players like (Andreas) Pereira, (Dan) James and (Jesse) Lingard that could run all day. And it's easy to set up a team and beat City away from home." 

Big move awaits former Manchester United man
Flash forward to April 2024, and none of the aforementioned trio can call Old Trafford home these days. Jesse Lingard is looking to kick-start his career in Korea, Dan James is threatening to fire Leeds back into the big time, while Andreas Pereira has quietly and efficiently developed into one of the division's more underrated midfield talents over at Fulham.

The Cottagers paid £10 million to sign Pereira from Man United in the summer of 2022. A return to the Brazilian national team after five years away – he supplied the assist for Endrick's Wembley winner – and reports linking one of the biggest clubs in European football with a move for the one-time Valencia and Lazio loanee is testament to stellar job Marco Silva has done with Fulham's set-piece specialist.

Sky Sports report that there is interest from Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone's side saw the shutters slammed down by Fulham in January. But, with his contract expiring in just two years' time, the West London outfit may be forced to at least pick up the phone to Atletico should they come calling again.

Brazil star an Atletico Madrid target
"I wanted to show people that I can play in the Premier League. That I can play at the highest level," Pereira told Fulham Fix, explaining his decision to leave United during Ten Hag's first summer at the helm.

"When the boss (Silva) called me, he said; 'I know you have the quality to play in the Premier League. I want you to show it, and I want to give you the chance to do it'.

"When he said that, it was like a challenge for me."

Man United, at least, had the foresight to include a 20 per cent sell-on clause in Pereira's contract. As such, if Fulham were to accept a big-money bid from Atletico Madrid, the Red Devils would be in for a sizeable windfall.



https://www.unitedinfocus.com/transfer-news/player-manchester-united-sold-for-just-10m-is-now-a-target-for-spanish-giants/

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