Fulham are poised to take Leeds United’s place in the Premier League’s planned American pre-season tournament, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
The Whites are set to the major beneficiaries of the ongoing doubts over Leeds’ place in the top flight next season. With the Yorkshire club deep into a battle against the drop after Sunday’s thrashing by Crystal Palace, the Athletic claims that the Premier League are preparing to publicly announce their plans for a ‘summer series’ across the Atlantic this week. Despite losing five games in a row, Fulham are still sitting comfortably in mid-table on 39 points having exceeded the pundits’ expectations upon their return to the top flight.
The Cottagers are considered a marketable entity in the United States by the Premier League powerbrokers for a number of reasons. The club are owned by the Khan family, who also own the NFL franchise the Jacksonville Jaguars, and have a sizeable following Stateside after establishing themselves as place where promising American talent could gain experience of English football during their thirteen year stay in the top flight between 2001 and 2014. Fulham’s currently starting line up features two leading American internationals in defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson.
Fulham are set to join Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea and Newcastle United in a tournament that is due to take place on the east coast of the United States at the end of July. It would represent the club’s first fixtures in the United States since a two-match tour of the country back in 2014.
