Fulham are keen on signing Serbian veteran midfielder Nemanja Matic after he leaves Manchester United this summer, according to the Sun.
The Whites are aiming to tempt the 33 year-old former Chelsea midfielder back to West London after Matic opted to leave Old Trafford at the end of his current contract. The holding midfielder, who spent five years with Manchester United, could add considerable experience to Marco Silva’s engine room as Fulham look to survive in the top flight after winning the Championship.
Matic, who won two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge, made 23 league appearances for United this term and has opted to move on with Eric ten Hag poised to take charge at Old Trafford. The same Sun report also suggests that Fulham will battle the likes of Leicester City and West Ham to sign Joe Worrall should Nottingham Forest fail to win the Championship play-off final.
Fulham are closing in on the signing of Ecuadorian striker Jordy Caicedo after CSKA Sofia accepted a £4.65m bid, reports from the forward’s homeland suggest.
Ecuadorian newspaper Bolavip claims that the Championship winners have beaten off other suitors for the 24 year-old striker, who had attracted interest from clubs in Italy, France and Russia. Caicedo, who has reportedly already agreed personal terms with the Craven Cottage outfit, has scored 31 goals in 64 appearances for CSKA Sofia, leading the Reds to the Bulgarian Cup last year and second place in the Bulgarian top flight this term.
Caicedo, who has scored once in seven senior appearances for Ecuador, believes a move to the Premier League could well convince national team coach Gustavo Alvarez to include him in the squad for this winter’s World Cup in Qatar. The 6ft 1in striker, who had trials with Santos aged fifteen, played for Ecuadorian sides Universidad Católica, El Nacional and Vitória before making the move to Bulgaria in 2021. He scored 22 goals in 46 appearances this season.
Ryan Fredericks could be set for a return to Craven Cottage with Fulham plotting a summer swoop for the free agent once his West Ham contract expires, according to the Evening Standard.
The right back left Fulham following their promotion to the Premier League in 2018 to join the Hammers on a Bosman but has struggled to make an impact at the London Stadium. Fredericks has slipped behind promising academy graduate Ben Johnson under David Moyes and has not been offered a new deal by West Ham.
The Standard suggests that Fredericks, who made 114 fourteen appearances in his first spell at Fulham, could be an immediate option as Marco Silva looks to strengthen his defensive options ahead of the Whites’ return to the top flight. The 29 year-old is reportedly keen to return to west London and would offer serious competition to Kenny Tete. It remains to be seen whether Fulham will test Liverpool’s resolve to keep hold of Neco Williams, who enjoyed a successful loan spell in the second half of last season under Silva, with a firm offer in the weeks to come.
Strikes against Bournemouth, Preston and Middlesbrough were boosted by braces against QPR and Preston North End to help the Serbian beat Brennan Johnson, Joel Piroe, Dominic Solanke and Harry Wilson to the accolade. Mitrovic has now claimed five fans’ awards out of nine in his record-breaking season.
Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha is likely to sign for Fulham on a free transfer in the coming days, according to reports from Italy.
The Albanian international is due to leave the Italian giants after losing his place in the first team to former Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina. The 27 year-old is ‘willing’ to move to the Premier League and accept Fulham’s offer, according to a report in La Repubblica.
Strakosha, who has won eighteen senior caps for Albania has made 206 senior appearances in a decade with Lazio. He played 21 Serie A games for Lazio earlier this term, keeping seven clean sheets, before being replaced by Reina. The experienced goalkeeper had been linked with Newcastle and West Ham, but appears to have been persuaded by Fulham’s offer of first team football.
Taylor Stansfield – Adam’s son – equalises for Yeovil Town against the South West Legends on Saturday
Whilst the eyes of the footballing world were on Wembley on Saturday afternoon, an emotional event at Huish Park held plenty of resonance for Fulham fans. A fundraising fixture, between Yeovil Town and a South West Legends side, was staged at the Glovers’ home ground for the former Yeovil and Exeter City striker Adam Stansfield, who died aged 31 from cancer. The foundation set up in Adam’s honour has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to give local young people the chance to develop life skills through sport.
It is personal to me, as I watched many of Stansfield’s 39 goals in his four years with the Grecians, as a student in Exeter. His professionalism and passion for the local community were well known even before his diagnosis, but soared with the way he bravely battled such a gruesome disease. Jay’s move from Exeter’s academy set-up to Fulham a couple of years ago was, of course, completely coincidental but gave me a greater connection to this uniquely compassionate family, who have already delivered transformational change throughout the South West through the work of the foundation, which is indebted to the incredible generosity of a team of wonderful volunteers. They are closing in on £350,000 of fundraising – spread across Devon, Somerset and Hereford (where Adam also played) having initially planned to only run the foundation for five years.
Jay kicked off the match on Saturday and there was a lovely moment when another of Adam’s sons, Taylor, scored the final goal in an entertaining 3-3 draw. There is no word yet on the actual amount the day delivered for the foundation as donations are still pouring in from a community that clearly cherishes Adam and his family. Fulham fans may wish to add to the haul here.
Fulham are mulling over making an offer for Mainz midfielder Jean-Paul Boëtius, who is set to leave the German outfit on a free transfer.
The Championship winners had approaches for the Dutch international turned down two years ago and could move again for the 28 year-old, after it was confirmed that would move on from Mainz this summer. Boëtius scored thirteen goals and added 23 assists in 129 appearances during his four years at the MEWA Arena, but has opted for pastures new after prolonged talks about a contract extension broke down.
Boëtius made his senior debut for his hometown club Feyenoord at the age of eighteen when Ronald Koeman named him as a shock starter in De Klassieker in October 2012. The teenager scored the equaliser in a 2-2 against local rivals Ajax and helped Feyenoord finish third, although his season was cut short after 20 appearances by an untimely knee injury. He helped the Rotterdam outfit qualify for the Champions’ League again in 2014, before joining Basel the following year.
Boëtius was an immediate success in Switzerland as Basel won the domestic double in 2016 and landed more trophies after making an emotional return to Feyenoord, lifting the Dutch Cup in 2018, before signing for Mainz for £3m. He has won a single senior cap for the Netherlands national side, having been picked for a friendly against France by Louis van Gaal in 2014, and is believed to be keen on playing in the Premier League. Boëtius is the cousin of Dutch international Urby Emmanuelson, who enjoyed a brief loan spell at Craven Cottage in 2013.
Fulham are set to sign Oldham teenage defender Damon Park in a deal worth around £150,000, according to the Sun.
The Championship winners have agreed a fee – which could rise with significant bonuses applicable depending on the success of the 16 year old’s career – with the Latics for the highly-rated young centre back. Park has been watched by a number of leading sides and is considered one of the best ball-player defenders in his age group in the country.
Oldham, beset by turmoil on and off the field, were relegated from League Two amid chaotic scenes at Boundary Park earlier this month with supporters staging protests against unpopular owner Abdallah Lemsagam.
Fulham are one of a number of Premier League sides looking at signing Derby skipper Tom Lawrence, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Lawrence seems set to leave Pride Park this summer following Derby’s demotion to League One – with the Welsh midfielder proving influential in Wayne Rooney’s battle against adversity. He scored eleven league goals as the Rams bravely fought a points deduction, but the 28 year-old is weighing up his options with his current contract expiring at the end of next month.
Bournemouth and Fulham have both been tracking the playmaker for some time, but the Mail says there is also significant interest from the likes of Burnley, Everton, Leeds United, Watford, Norwich City and Anderlecht. Lawrence has made 185 appearances in five years with Derby, having begun his career in the Manchester United youth set-up. He is desperate to try and force his way into Robert Page’s thoughts for the World Cup this winter, having not represented Wales since a friendly against Mexico last March.
Fulham want to turn Neco Williams’ successful loan move from Liverpool into a permanent deal – and are confident of concluding a £12m transfer in the coming weeks.
The Welsh full back was a revelation after arriving at Craven Cottage on the final day of the January transfer window. Williams immediately displaced Kenny Tete, reprising his partnership at club and international level with Harry Wilson along the Whites’ right flank. The 21 year-old made fourteen appearances, scoring twice and adding two assists, as Marco Silva’s side surged to the Championship table before a knee injury ruled him out of the final three games of the campaign.
Williams has returned to Merseyside following the completion of Fulham’s season but the Londoners are keen to agree a permanent switch ahead of their return to the Premier League. The Wrexham-born defender is desperate to play first-team football to retain his spot in the Welsh side ahead of the World Cup this winter – and he will find his path to the senior side at Anfield blocked by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
