Summer Silly Season Transfer Thread 2025

[Angus Telford]

Twig is spot on.
The total lack of any real communication- the " plan" that never materialised / the lack of activity in certain areas just fuels speculation .
I don't necessarily think we are for sale but I do think that the ownership may well be happy with mid - lower table finish . They have achieved b their goal of stability ( after the yo- yo years ) have an infrastructure and product that they keep polishing and sweating the asset in the high margin areas ( not the Hammy end loos ) .
This can only look good on any sales brochure for when they do eventually decide to cash in their investment.
As I have said previously this is perfectly acceptable and sensible behaviour for FFC as a business - just not that exciting for a fan

Agree as usual. The argument as to whether they're "selling up" imminently is a bit of a straw man / red herring. Question should be, are they still looking to invest and improve the club, as I'm sure they were for their first ten years. Think now (and for the last couple of years) the answer is no. Whatever their plan is beyond that is a bit moot.

[Jim©]

If invest means that they put more into the club than take out, then I'm not entirely sure what you're on about.

[Tabby]

I think the only things the Khans have done that would count as significant investment by Angus' standards is the new stand and the spree following the Joka promotion.

Am fine with the level of investment as long as it is spent more wisely (current window not counted as it isn't done). Brighton, Brentford, Palace and Bournemouth don't have the same kind of financial backing we do but get along mostly by selling to buy, there are fluctuations in their spending. Bournemouth spent a lot last season but will likely not spend anywhere close to what they've received this season. Forest is the obvious outlier.

[ElRay]

Twig is spot on.
The total lack of any real communication- the " plan" that never materialised / the lack of activity in certain areas just fuels speculation .
I don't necessarily think we are for sale but I do think that the ownership may well be happy with mid - lower table finish . They have achieved b their goal of stability ( after the yo- yo years ) have an infrastructure and product that they keep polishing and sweating the asset in the high margin areas ( not the Hammy end loos ) .
This can only look good on any sales brochure for when they do eventually decide to cash in their investment.
As I have said previously this is perfectly acceptable and sensible behaviour for FFC as a business - just not that exciting for a fan

Well the owners could be happy with us being a mid table side, but Marco Silva is the mastermind behind our stability. He got plenty of existing players to perform and since he joined the majority of signings have been suggested by him. I imagine this "plan" is what Marco believes will take us to the next level, however the club are not investing due to financial constraints or they aren't investing because they're happy with our current position.

The Khan's aren't bad owners, but they're clearly more interested in the business opportunities of the football club and I do fear during Marco's tenure they don't appear to have developed a clear strategy on recruitment going forward, they are just happy with the opportunities Premier League stability brings them.

They've upset the manager who gave them the stability they spent the best part of a decade chasing and if he goes in the summer, without a clear direction for footballing matters, the fruits they enjoy off the pitch come crumbling down very quickly.

Shad Khan mentioned the academy a lot in his programme notes, it's great to have a pipeline of young talent , but at best you'll have 3/4 academy graduates in your 25 man squad if you push a homegrown agenda. You need a recruitment plan alongside that.

I thought the Tosin & Robinson signings before Marco were smart and strategy like that, could've been implemented alongside Marco's experienced player preference. Learn lessons from Marco on how to be a stable premier league side, but also take chances on young players who performed in the championship. It looks like Marco has been given full control of targets, because of how well he has done. So if they value him so much, I am surprised they aren't doing more to keep him around.

[Angus Telford]

I think the only things the Khans have done that would count as significant investment by Angus' standards is the new stand and the spree following the Joka promotion.

The Riverside stand is a huge and brilliant investment by them but that was commissioned a long time ago now. Think most years up to and including 22/23 (£60m net spend) I'd assume also involved substantial investment from the owner too. Last few seasons i suspect the net spend (average £10-15m if you include the zero spent this year as it stands) came from the club's own revenue (inc player sales). Not that it's purely about spending, but there hasn't been any other new development of our strategy / management / infrastructure in that time, hence we've stagnated.

[Deeping_white]

https://twitter.com/fulhamtransfer/status/1959933740915818766

[Deeping_white]

Looking like Pereira could be gone by Thursday as well

[Tabby]

I think the only things the Khans have done that would count as significant investment by Angus' standards is the new stand and the spree following the Joka promotion.

The Riverside stand is a huge and brilliant investment by them but that was commissioned a long time ago now. Think most years up to and including 22/23 (£60m net spend) I'd assume also involved substantial investment from the owner too. Last few seasons i suspect the net spend (average £10-15m if you include the zero spent this year as it stands) came from the club's own revenue (inc player sales). Not that it's purely about spending, but there hasn't been any other new development of our strategy / management / infrastructure in that time, hence we've stagnated.

There wasn't significant investment when we went up with Parker, a lot of players but they were on loan. Knockaert, Cav and BDR were big investments, for the championship but not a lot in absolute terms. But once we got those as well as the failed transfers following the Joka promotion out (promotion season with Silva wheee there was an almost £70 million loss) then if we are talking money that the Khans are putting in we have been steadily at the same operating loss (doesn't include infrastructure payments though, to be fair) since the first Prem season with Silva, somewhere around £30 million.

Just not sure where you are seeing the larger investment happening other than the two events I outlined. What was the large investment prior to getting promoted with Joka?

[hopper]

https://twitter.com/fulhamtransfer/status/1959933740915818766

Really don't believe it, and poor source - but this would be fantastic. Even on loan.

[Tabby]

Graeme Bailey is usually trash tier and I don't expect Unitedfocus to be much better. Would be a good signing though.

[Coastwalker]

Apparently Sterling was at the game yesterday...I didn't see him.😌

[Thailand Mick]

Make of this what you will, Calvin Bassey on snap chat.
https://x.com/karthikadhaigal/status/1959945762223317072

[FFC1987]

Make of this what you will, Calvin Bassey on snap chat.
https://x.com/karthikadhaigal/status/1959945762223317072

Breaking news: Further fine for Bassey due to social media postings

[Thailand Mick]

I think the only things the Khans have done that would count as significant investment by Angus' standards is the new stand and the spree following the Joka promotion.

The Riverside stand is a huge and brilliant investment by them but that was commissioned a long time ago now. Think most years up to and including 22/23 (£60m net spend) I'd assume also involved substantial investment from the owner too. Last few seasons i suspect the net spend (average £10-15m if you include the zero spent this year as it stands) came from the club's own revenue (inc player sales). Not that it's purely about spending, but there hasn't been any other new development of our strategy / management / infrastructure in that time, hence we've stagnated.

our net spend since promotion is £80+ million.

[DevonFFC]

https://twitter.com/fulhamtransfer/status/1959933740915818766

Really don't believe it, and poor source - but this would be fantastic. Even on loan.

They take from forums and twitter and regurgitate it.

[General]

It's clear to me that the squad and manager all think Nelson is more than talented enough and also someone who fits what the current squad are as a bond to make them all want the deal to happen. Marco also said he was very unlucky with the injury he got last season.

I for one hope we sign him again, and perhaps a perm - though I think a loan with option for perm - could be useful. I think the long term commitment to Reiss and also to Fulham could see him be managed better and with the long term in mind. Kinda like Sess and others who've come with a slight injury record (e.g. ESR to a degree), and been able to heal and get better.

We seem to have a good medical dept in that regard.

Nelson, Sterling and Kevin to round off our forward options, Kevin on perm, Nelson with an option, and then who knows re Sterling (I reckon if we do a loan to perm option, then Sterling, once he's seen the manager, squad dynamic may take a salary cut to stay!)...

Then a CM.

For what it's worth, I'm leaning more towards the club being ambitious this window and trying to get better players, but needing fewer of them..

If we got Kevin for £40-£50, Nelson on an option for £20m, Sterling for however much and a CM for another £20m, yes we would've spent less, but there's a good chance we'd have strengthened where needed and done all we needed to.

I'm keeping one eye on the - are the Khan's interested and trying to sell narrative, but if they get those signings through the door, they may have taken their sweet goddamned time, but they'll have just about addressed our needs.

Icing on the cake would seemingly be another LB, as it seems Marco wants to use Sess further forward. Zinchenko on a perm would be good.

[Mullers OG]

We need to offload as well as recruit. Assuming Pereira leaves that still leaves Reed and Traore who aren't getting on the pitch and upgrades are necessary. Reed has been a huge asset in the past and would, I imagine, be a great signing for newly promoted sides. So far as Traore is concerned we need better cover for Wilson on the right.

If we can make space by offloading these three players with thanks for their time at the club and pick up a winger or two, a DM and a 3rd striker we should flourish.

[cmg]

Make of this what you will, Calvin Bassey on snap chat.
https://x.com/karthikadhaigal/status/1959945762223317072

Beats the hell out of me.
He's joining the Army?
He's going to Clown School?
He, like me, can't take photos properly?

Such gnomic postings need a bit of explaination for slow old buffers like me.

[Tabby]

https://x.com/fulhamtransfer/status/1959963741224632708?s=46

[KentFulham]

We need to offload as well as recruit. Assuming Pereira leaves that still leaves Reed and Traore who aren't getting on the pitch and upgrades are necessary. Reed has been a huge asset in the past and would, I imagine, be a great signing for newly promoted sides. So far as Traore is concerned we need better cover for Wilson on the right.

If we can make space by offloading these three players with thanks for their time at the club and pick up a winger or two, a DM and a 3rd striker we should flourish.

I would say Reed would be more suited to a Championship team